Tigers Hold Off Kenyon To Secure Spot In NCAC Tournament Semis

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers won for the 11th time in their last 13 games and completed a three-game sweep of Kenyon with a 67-60 win over the Ladies in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament quarterfinals.

Wittenberg, the No. 2 seed in the tourney after posting a 12-4 record in the NCAC during the regular season, improved to 21-6 and advanced to the NCAC Tournament semifinals for the fifth time in eight seasons under Head Coach Sarah Jurewicz. The Tigers will take on third-seeded Denison on Friday, Feb. 27, in a game hosted by top-seeded DePauw.

Kenyon, which saw its season end with a record of 7-18, didn't go quietly. The Ladies led much of the first half before a 17-4 Wittenberg run turned the tables just before halftime. The Tigers built the lead to as many as 10 points on two occasions in the second half, but it was Kenyon that put together a rally, pulling to within 56-55 on a Molly Rubin three-pointer with 6:12 remaining.

Wittenberg stepped up its defensive pressure from that point, however, allowing just two successful Kenyon possessions from that point on. At the other end of the floor, the Tigers slowly extended the lead thanks to five points from senior Enri Small (Columbus, Ohio/Columbus School for Girls) and four from senior Darbie Zirkle (St. Paris, Ohio/Graham).

Small finished with a tremendous offensive performance as she poured in a career-high 27 points in just 20 minutes of action. She hit 10-of-20 shots from the field, including a phenomenal 6-of-8 from three-point range. Zirkle contributed 17 points, thanks in large part to 8-of-11 shooting from the free throw line, in addition to four rebounds, four steals, three blocked shots and two assists.

As a team, Wittenberg shot 37 percent from the field, compared to 44 percent for Kenyon, which also converted 11-of-21 shots from three-point range. The Ladies were a paltry 3-of-10 from the free throw line, however, while Wittenberg finished 18-of-24 from the charity stripe, while also winning the rebounding battle 42-30 and committing five fewer turnovers in the game. Senior Katelyn Haralamos (Maineville, Ohio/Kings) led both teams with eight rebounds, and she shared the team lead in assists with sophomore Michelle Brunswick (Middletown, Ohio/Madison), as both finished with four helpers.

Wittenberg and Denison will play for the third time in the 2014-15 season, with the Tigers owning a pair of victories. The winner will play either DePauw or fifth-seeded Ohio Wesleyan in the championship game on Saturday, Feb. 28.

Written By: Ryan Maurer