Wittenberg Slips Past Oberlin in NCAC Tournament Quarterfinals, 74-62

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg women's basketball team needed a lift, and they got it Tuesday from freshman guard Megan Miller (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster). Miller sparked an early comeback as the cold-shooting, top-seeded Tigers eased their way past the eighth-seeded Oberlin Yeowomen, 74-62, in North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament Quarterfinal action.

The win was Wittenberg's 17th in a row in the 2003-04 season and improved the Tigers to 21-5 overall. Coming off a third straight NCAC regular season championship - a second straight without taking a loss - the Tigers will now host the tourney's semifinals and finals on Friday and Saturday. Oberlin bowed out of the 2003-04 season with an overall mark of 7-19 after posting a record of 3-13 in the NCAC regular season.

The Yeowomen jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the game and still held an 8-4 advantage when Miller, who had appeared in just 12 games all year, came in off the bench with instructions to get the offense going. She hit a three-pointer with 12:11 left in the first half to pull Wittenberg within one point, then she dropped a three-pointer at the 10:37 mark to tie things at 12-12. Less than two minutes later, Miller gave the Tigers the lead for the first - and it turns out, only - time, dropping her third straight trey to give Wittenberg a 17-14 lead. Miller finished the first half with four triples and the Tigers wound up leading 29-23 at the intermission.

In the second half, Wittenberg never pulled away, but thanks to the hot play of seniors Amber Bishop (Batavia, Ohio/Batavia) and Haley Warden (Loveland, Ohio/Indian Hill) the Yeowomen never pulled any closer than six points in the final 20 minutes. Bishop hit two three-pointers in the first minute of the second half to give the Tigers some breathing room, and she went on to pour in 16 of her game-high 18 points in the final 20 minutes. Warden, the Tigers' leading scorer and rebounder, made just 2-of-11 shots in the game, but she finished with eight points, 14 rebounds, four steals and seven assists, showing off an outstanding all-around game. Miller finished with 16 points.

Oberlin picked up 14 points from Jessica Oram, 12 points from Christina Briboneria, 11 points, six rebounds and four assists from Nicole Burford and five points and 12 boards from Tranice Harrell.