Wittenberg upends Ohio Wesleyan in key early NCAC match-up
The Wittenberg University Tigers were just moments away from sweeping both the North Coast Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championships last year before the Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops put together the run of a lifetime. In the NCAC tournament finale, played before a boisterous home crowd at Wittenberg's HPER Center, OWU rallied from a double-digit deficit in the closing minutes to snatch an overtime victory from the host Tigers and advance to the NCAA Division III tournament for a second straight year.
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg University Tigers were just moments away from sweeping both the North Coast Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championships last year before the Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops put together the run of a lifetime. In the NCAC tournament finale, played before a boisterous home crowd at Wittenberg's HPER Center, OWU rallied from a double-digit deficit in the closing minutes to snatch an overtime victory from the host Tigers and advance to the NCAA Division III tournament for a second straight year.
The loss has stung for the Tigers ever since. On Wednesday night, back on the same court almost 11 months later, Wittenberg exacted a measure of revenge, defeating OWU in an important early NCAC match-up 71-62. It wasn't for a coveted spot in the NCAA tournament, but it was for the lead in the NCAC, no matter how early in the campaign.
Wittenberg closed the first half on what turned out to be a decisive 10-point run, spinning a one-point deficit with 3:38 left on the clock into a 30-21 advantage going into the locker room. The Bishops could get no closer than six points in the second half, thanks to 67 percent shooting from the field by the Tigers.
The Tigers got a season-high 18 points from senior forward Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw), who was starting just her second game. Keller also finished with five rebounds and three steals as she hit 9-of-13 shots from the floor. Joining Keller in double figures in scoring was senior guard Stephanie Campbell (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern), who canned 14 points, including a pair of clutch three-pointers that stopped OWU runs, four assists and three steals. Senior guard Kate Rolf (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll)chipped in with nine points and five assists, bringing her to within six points of becoming the sixth player in school history to score 1,000 in her career.
Ohio Wesleyan got 22 points from the conference's leading scorer, sophomore forward Kelly Heil. Senior center Mindy Hammond added 13 points and six assists and forward Tiffany Barbee added 12 points off the bench. The Bishops allowed the Tigers 17 offensive rebounds, including 14 in the first half alone, and turned the ball over 32 times in the defeat.
Wittenberg is now 8-4 overall and 3-0 in the NCAC. Ohio Wesleyan fell to 6-6 overall and 2-2 in the conference.