Tigers Pull Out Dramatic Win On Senior Recognition Day

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The difference between winning and losing came down to one rotation of the basketball. No more, no less.

The Wittenberg Tigers celebrated Senior Recognition Day in the most improbable and dramatic way, rallying for a 55-54 victory over visiting Ohio Wesleyan. But the celebration could begin only after a buzzer-beating lay-up hung on the rim for what seemed like an eternity - only to fall harmlessly off the side.

The win pushed the Tigers back to 12-13 overall and 8-8 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), good for a fourth place tie with Denison. However, Wittenberg will hit the road to take on the Big Red in the quarterfinals of the NCAC Tournament on Tuesday, Feb. 19, thanks to tiebreaker criteria.

Ohio Wesleyan, which fell to 8-17 overall and 7-9 in the NCAC, finishes sixth in the final conference standings. This after leading most of the regular season finale against Wittenberg.

The Tigers held a 12-11 lead midway through the first half, but Ohio Wesleyan outscored Wittenberg 18-10 over the final 10 minutes to take a seven-point lead into the locker room at halftime. The lead expanded to 13 early in the second half before the Tigers stirred to life with a 15-2 run that was capped by a lay-up from senior Kim Replogle (Houston, Ohio/Houston) at the 10:51 mark.

That set the stage for a dramatic conclusion, featuring six ties and just as many lead changes over the final 10 minutes.

Trailing 54-51 inside the final minute, junior Amber Rice (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) stepped up to complete the comeback for Wittenberg. First, she capped a lengthy possession with a short jumper with 24 seconds remaining that pulled the Tigers to within one point. Then, after a missed OWU free throw, she was fouled in the lane and swished the ensuing free throws.

After a pair of Ohio Wesleyan timeouts - the second coming just a fraction before a five-second call - the Battling Bishops were forced into an off-balance shot that did not draw iron. OWU's Tamra Londot got the rebound, but her lay-up came up just inches short.

Rice finished with 15 points to lead all scorers, and she added six rebounds and three assists. Replogle added 14 points, three rebounds and three assists, while sophomore Karen Daniel-Hamberg (Columbus, Ohio/Grandview) contributed 12 points and eight rebounds off the bench.

As a team, Wittenberg shot 36.2 percent from the field and outrebounded the Battling Bishops by eight. The key stat of the game, however, was free throw shooting - Ohio Wesleyan made just 12-of-24 from the charity stripe, compared to 10-of-13 for Wittenberg.

Before the game, Wittenberg celebrated the two seniors in the program - Replogle and Sarah Skidmore (Troy, Ohio/Miami East) in their final home appearance in the Red & White.