Wittenberg Falls To Scranton in NCAA Div. III Round of 16

BRUNSWICK, Maine - Teams that venture deep into the NCAA Division III Tournament don't play for moral victories, and and after Friday's 68-51 Round of 16 loss to the University of Scranton at Bowdoin College, Tigers Head Coach Pam Smith wasn't actively seeking them out. Unfortunately, that's all the Tigers could take home with them after a game in which they didn't play their best and therefore couldn't keep pace with the third-ranked team in the nation.

The loss ended Wittenberg's 21-game win streak and the Tigers' season with a 25-6 overall record. The two-time North Coast Athletic Conference regular season and tournament champions shot just 30 percent from the field, including a 1-for-15 performance from three-point range, and were plagued by foul problems, particularly to top post players Haley Warden (Loveland, Ohio/Indian Hill) and Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) throughout the game.

Scranton, which improved to 27-2 overall and advanced to the national quarterfinals against top-ranked and unbeaten Bowdoin on Saturday, shot 47 percent from the field and led for almost the entire game. The Freedom Conference regular season and tournament champions, who were making their 13th appearance in the NCAA Division III Round of 16 compared to the first for Wittenberg, also won the rebounding battle 39-38 and converted 21 of 27 free throw attempts.

The Tigers led twice in the game, at 2-0 and 6-5, before the Lady Royals took control of things and fended off several challenges late in the first half and early in the second. Taryn Mellody scored on a short jumper with 15:38 remaining in the first half to give Scranton a 7-6 and spark a 10-0 run. Wittenberg went six full minutes without a point in the game's crucial turning point. Also during that stretch, three Wittenberg starters picked up their second foul - Woessner, Warden and junior guard Alison Nahrup (Loveland, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame).

Scranton took full advantage, consistently finding post players Tara Gemmel and Eileen Webster for easy baskets. Both players finished with 17 points and five rebounds, to go along with Kate Pierangeli's 12 tallies. Wittenberg managed 15 points from senior guard Amber Bishop (Batavia, Ohio/Batavia), eight points from Woessner and seven from Warden. Freshman forward Kathy Hittle (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville) chipped in with four points and a game-high seven rebounds in 17, foul-plagued minutes off the bench.