Manchester Holds Off Wittenberg To Win 2007 Zimmerman Classic Consolation

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Ali Rohlfs

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Manchester Spartans took advantage of a season-high 29 turnovers by homestanding Wittenberg for a 61-52 victory in the consolation game of the 2007 Charles B. Zimmerman Memorial Classic. 

Manchester, which lost by 11 on Friday to John Carroll in the tournament semifinals, improved to 7-4 on the season. The Tigers, who fell in the semifinals to Carnegie Mellon, lost for the fourth straight time to fall to 2-5 on the campaign.

Turnovers were the difference in this one. After Wittenberg sophomore post Stephanie Boardman (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley) hit a lay-up to close the gap to 46-45 with 5:53 left in the game, the Tigers went more than three minutes without a successful offensive possession, missing two shots and committing six costly turnovers. During that time, Manchester pieced together a 9-0 run.

The Tigers pulled to within five points again on a three-pointer by sophomore guard Victoria Leali (Jackson, Ohio/Jackson) with 47 seconds left. But the Spartans closed it out with six straight free throws in the final 27 seconds.

Manchester hit 40 percent from the field in the game and committed 11 less turnovers than Wittenberg. Sarah Bose was the game's high scorer with 21 points, in addition to five rebounds, three assists and four steals. Kelley Meiklejohn added 17 points and team-high six rebounds.

Wittenberg shot 34 percent from the field and won the rebounding battle by a decisive 44-33 margin. Boardman led offensively with 11 points in 12 productive minutes off the bench. Senior post Ali Rohlfs (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) turned in a fine game with nine points and a game-high nine rebounds, while senior post Katie Gregorevich (Northfield, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) added eight points, six rebounds and three assists before fouling out in the final minute.