Wittenberg downs host Franklin to win Coca-Cola/Wal-Mart Tournament
The Wittenberg Tigers made it two straight at the Coca-Cola/Wal-Mart Classic at Franklin College Saturday with a 69-59 victory. The game was a re-match of last year's NCAA Division III Tournament first-round game won by Wittenberg in Springfield.
FRANKLIN, Ind. - The Wittenberg Tigers made it two straight at the Coca-Cola/Wal-Mart Classic at Franklin College Saturday with a 69-59 victory. The game was a re-match of last year's NCAA Division III Tournament first-round game won by Wittenberg in Springfield.
Wittenberg never trailed in this game after scoring the first five points, but that doesn't mean it was a blowout. After opening up a lead of as much as 19 points in the first half, Wittenberg had to scratch out the win after Franklin tied things at 50-50 with 11:41 left in the game. From that point, the Tigers went on a 19-9 run, keyed by eight points by junior forward Peter Walker (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) on two three-pointers and two free throws, and two baskets by senior forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler), who was playing in his first game of the season due to a foot injury.
Wittenberg improved to 3-1 on the young season, while Franklin, champions of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference in 2001-02, dropped to 1-3. The Tigers won the battle of the boards 36-31 and shot 51 percent from the field (28 of 55), including 8-of-16 from three-point range. Walker led all scorers with 20 points and junior guard Rod Emmons (South Bend, Ind./John Adams) chipped in with 16 after draining four three-pointers.
The Tigers' senior forward tandem of B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins) and Longley added 20 points (10 apiece). Harris and sophomore guard Danny Brywczynski (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) shared rebounding honors with seven each. Walker was named Tournament Most Valuable Player for his efforts in the two games.