Tigers Rally Past Oberlin For Key NCAC Win

OBERLIN, Ohio - Trailing 12-2 after missing 10 of their first 11 shots from the field, the Wittenberg Tigers were in need of a spark. They got it in the form of two reserves, who carried Wittenberg to a much-needed 58-49 victory over host Oberlin in very different ways.

Freshman Michelle Brunswick (Middletown, Ohio/Madison) came off the bench to record a game-high nine rebounds and four steals and junior Darbie Zirkle (St. Paris, Ohio/Graham) contributed 11 points and four steals. The tandem kickstarted a strong second half for the Tigers, who outscored the Yeowomen 36-21 over the final 20 minutes.

The win moved the Tigers to 9-6 overall and 4-3 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). Oberlin lost its second straight game to fall to 8-7 overall and 3-3 in the league.

The Yeowomen scored 12 of the game's first 14 points, but the Tigers cut the gap in half by the intermission at 28-22. Wittenberg opened the second half on a 14-4 run, but Oberlin kept the Tigers from pulling away until the closing moments. Zirkle drained a three-pointer with 54 seconds left to give Wittenberg an eight-point lead, and the Tigers closed out with 3-of-4 free throws over the final 21 seconds.

Wittenberg is now in a five-way tie for second place in the NCAC, three games behind No. 1 ranked defending national champion DePauw. Oberlin is just one-half game behind the second-place logjam.

The Tigers shot 36 percent from the field and 33 percent from three-point range, making five of their last seven attempts from long distance after finishing the first half 1-of-11. Junior Katelyn Haralamos (Maineville, Ohio/Kings) led the Tigers with 17 points, six rebounds and three assists, while senior Amber Rice (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) added 16 points, five rebounds and three assists.