Wittenberg Basketball Teams Rake In Top NCAC Awards
The Wittenberg University Men's and Women's Basketball teams have been mirror images of one another all season, the models of winning consistency, so it should come as no surprise that the Tigers cleaned up in the North Coast Athletic Conference postseason awards, which were announced today.
Head Coach Pam Smith
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg University Men's and Women's Basketball teams have been mirror images of one another all season, the models of winning consistency, so it should come as no surprise that the Tigers cleaned up in the North Coast Athletic Conference postseason awards, which were announced today.
For the women, senior forward Haley Warden (Loveland, Ohio/Indian Hill) made her first and only appearance on the All-NCAC honor roll count. She was named 2004 NCAC Player of the Year after leading the Tigers in scoring (14.5 points per game) and rebounding (9.8 boards per game). Warden, the NCAC Tournament MVP after scoring 39 points and grabbing 44 rebounds in three games last week, was a first-team selection, senior guard Amber Bishop (Batavia, Ohio/Batavia) was a second-team choice after scoring 12.5 points per game, and senior forward Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) earned Honorable Mention recognition for her 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per outing in the 2003-04 season.
On the men's side, senior forward Peter Walker (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) showed the way with first-team honors, the first time he has been so recognized in his collegiate career. He made the all-tournament team in the Kiwanis-Wittenberg Tip-Off Classic, the Hanover College John R. Collier Tournament and the NCAC Tournament, and he topped 1,000 points for his career late in the season. Walker led the Tigers in scoring at 13.8 points per game and ranked second in rebounds at 6.2 per contest. Also gaining recognition from the conference were sophomore forward Kenny Brady (Reading, Ohio/Reading), who averaged 10.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest, and sophomore center Daniel Russ (Louisville, Ky./Trinity), who posted averages of 12.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game and also led the NCAC in blocked shots.
Head Coach Bill Brown
NCAC Women's Basketball Coach of the Year went to Pam Smith (Wittenberg 1982) for the third straight year and the sixth time in her career. Smith, who has an 18-year record at her alma mater of 349-139, led the Tigers to their first-ever NCAA Division III Tournament win Wednesday night, an 81-49 first-round victory over Penn St.-Behrend. The Tigers are 24-5 in the 2003-04 season and have won 20 straight games. Wittenberg has won 10 NCAC regular season titles, including the last three in a row, and seven NCAC Tournament titles, and the Tigers have advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament eight times in Smith's career.
NCAC Men's Basketball Coach of the Year went to Bill Brown (Wittenberg 1973) for the fifth time in his career and the fourth time as coach of the Tigers. Brown has an 11-year record at his alma mater of 250-61 and an overall 17-year record of 310-160. Wittenberg has won six NCAC regular season titles, including three of the last four, and two NCAC Tournament titles, and the Tigers have advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament seven times in his career.
The Tiger, who have a 24-4 overall record, received a first-round bye and subsequently will host a second-round game at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 6. Wittenberg is making its 22nd appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament, the most of any school, and will take on the winner of the John Carroll University/Calvin College first round match-up hosted by John Carroll on Thursday.
Wittenberg, the winningest NCAA Division III program in history with 1,482 wins all-time, has an overall record of 56-28 in national tournament play, including seven years as part of the old College Division between 1959 and 1974. The Tigers have finished third three times, second twice and first once (in 1977) in 21 previous appearances in the NCAA Division III Tournament. In the College Division, Wittenberg finished second in 1963 and won a national title in 1961.
North Coast Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Release - pdf file
North Coast Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Release - pdf file
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