Wittenberg Falls In Hanover Tournament Semifinal to Wisconsin-Eau Claire

HANOVER, Ind. - The Wittenberg Tigers couldn't take advantage of a variety of golden opportunities Saturday at the John R. Collier Tournament at Hanover College, and it eventually caught up with them as they dropped a hard-fought 66-64 overtime decision to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in semifinal action. The loss dropped the Tigers to 2-1 on the young season, while UWEC advanced to the title game against the fourth-ranked host Panthers with a 2-2 overall mark.

Wittenberg led the game by a point with 16 seconds left in regulation before UWEC pulled even with a free throw. Tigers sophomore Daniel Russ (Louisville, Ky./Trinity), who led both teams with 25 points, then missed a turnaround jumper just before the buzzer that would ended the game. In overtime, the Tigers again moved out in front but a three-point play by the Blugolds tied things and a pair of Wittenberg free throws missed their mark. Freshman Chad Honl, playing in his first collegiate game, then became the hero, hitting a go-ahead jumper with 14 seconds left and then blocking a Kenny Brady (Reading, Ohio/Reading) jumper at the other end to preserve the narrow victory.

Statistically, Wittenberg got another huge game from Russ and senior Peter Walker (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier), both of whom are averaging double-doubles through three games in the season. Russ added 10 rebounds to his 25 points, just three days after being named North Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week for earning Most Valuable Player honors in the Kiwanis-Wittenberg Tip-Off Classic. Walker, like Russ playing a short distance from his hometown of Louisville, had his second straight double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds, the latter being a game-high. Wittenberg gathered five more rebounds than Wisconsin-Eau Claire and committed three less turnovers, but the Tigers were doomed by poor shooting (30 percent from the field and just 1-of-14 from three-point range).

Wisconsin-Eau Claire picked up 15 points from guard Dan Archambeault and 12 more from Casey Drake in the win. Drake was also high rebounder with six for the Blugolds, who shot 42 percent from the floor.