2002 North Coast Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Tournament Wittenberg vs Allegheny

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - It was a performance that could only be described as workmanlike. Playing against the bigger, more physical Allegheny Gators, Wittenberg's women's basketball team cobbled things together nicely for a 75-58 victory in the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament semifinals.

The top-seeded Tigers, who improved to 21-5 on the season just two days after defeating Wooster in Tuesday's quarterfinals for Head Coach Pam Smith's 300th career win, advanced to Saturday's championship game against No. 2 seed Ohio Wesleyan. The Bishops, who split a pair of regular season meetings with the Tigers, were a 63-48 winner in the first semifinal game over Earlham.

Wittenberg shot just 31 percent from the field and 68 percent from the free throw line, but the Tigers limited Allegheny to 28 percent shooting from the field in the first half, forced 23 turnovers in the game and outrebounded the Gators 49-41. In the process, Wittenberg slowly wore down Allegheny, winning for the second time in three meetings this year.

"I thought we played real good defense tonight and I was very pleased with our rebounding," said Smith, who was presented with a proclamation from Springfield Mayor Warren Copeland after the game in recognition of her professional accomplishments. "The rebounding was such a key. When we lost to them earlier this season, they had 23 points on putbacks. Tonight they had nine."

A 16-3 Wittenberg run midway through the first half expanded a 14-13 lead into a 30-16 cushion and started the Tigers on their way. Allegheny closed to within three points in the second half, but Wittenberg, which has won five NCAC tournament titles since 1991, had an answer every time.

More often than not, junior guard Kate Rolf was the one with the answers for the Tigers. The team's leading scorer for a second straight year, Rolf dropped in 16 points, including three three-pointers, despite foul trouble. Joining Rolf in double figures were freshman guard Emilie Schmid with 14 and junior forward Tiffany Keller with 10.

Allegheny guard Jessica Kankoski led all scorers with 23 points, and she was joined in double figures by forward Meredith McDonough with 14 on 5-of-6 shooting from the field. The Gators concluded their season at 15-11, while the Tigers advanced to the title game since 1999, when Ohio Wesleyan won a tight game on its home court 74-72.

"The team's excited," Smith said. "To be in the championship and to be at home, that's what we wanted."