March 12, 2001--(24-4, 15-1 NCAC)

The Wittenberg University Tigers followed a winning formula all season. That formula was a combination of hustle and hard work as the Tigers outrebounded each of their first 27 opponents in 2000-01, held their foes to low shooting percentages from the field and used their depth to wear down other teams in the second half.

Last Friday night in the NCAA Division III sectional semifinal at Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio, there was no more formula left in the beaker as this time the opponent was too good on the boards, too good on offense and just as deep. The Tigers dropped an 82-66 decision to the Polar Bears before the largest crowd ever to see a game at ONU's Sports Complex and saw their dream season come to an end with a 24-4 overall record.

Wittenberg, regular season champions of the North Coast Athletic Conference, had received an at-large bid to the tournament, received a first-round bye and had moved into what many observers considered the toughest sectional in the country by defeating Maryville College on March 3. But the Polar Bears, the Ohio Athletic Conference regular season and tournament champion which has since moved on to the national semifinals, were too much, jumping on the Tigers with a 10-0 run midway through the first half and maintaining their double-digit lead for the rest of the game.

Senior forward Ryan Taylor (Waynesfield, Ohio/Goshen) closed out his college career by leading the Tigers with 12 points. Senior center Chris Fillmore (Barberton, Ohio/Barberton) added 10 points in his final game, while sophomore forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler) chipped in with seven points and a team-high 10 rebounds.

By even the loftiest of standards imposed by a program that has not had a losing season since 1956, the 2000-01 edition of the Wittenberg University Tigers enjoyed tremendous success that Head Coach Bill Brown pointed out could not be overshadowed by the disappointing season-ending loss.

Wittenberg went 24-4 this season and posted an NCAC-best 15-1 mark in regular season play. The team won a pair of in-season tournaments - the Albion Tip-Off Classic in November and the Kiwanis-Wittenberg Holiday Classic in December. Following a loss in the NCAC tournament final against the Wooster Scots, who the Tigers defeated twice during the regular season, Wittenberg rebounded advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in five seasons. The Tigers ended the year ranked No. 4 in both the National Association of Basketball Coaches and d3hoops.com national polls.

The senior class of Ryan Taylor, Chris Fillmore, Kyle Krauss and Alex Welp was the heart and soul of the team in 2000-01. As a group, they compiled a sparkling overall four-year record of 80-26. Just as importantly, they led by example, overcoming personal adversities to win with class.

Taylor, the team's leading scorer with more than 16 points per game, earned NCAC Player of the Year honors in 2000-01, becoming just the third Wittenberg player to earn a conference player of the year honor. He concludes his career as Wittenberg's ninth all-time leading scorer with more than 1,400 points.

Brown completed his eighth season at the helm of his alma mater's men's basketball program and ran his Wittenberg record to 180-47, putting him No. 2 on the school's coaching wins list. The NCAC regular season title was the Tigers' fourth in Brown's eight years, and the NCAA Division III tournament appearance was Wittenberg's fifth in that span. Topping things off, Brown was awarded NCAC Coach of the Year for a third time (including one at Kenyon in 1986).

March 5, 2001--(23-3, 15-1 NCAC)

Wittenberg University's men's basketball team has received its first bid to the NCAA Division III tournament since 1997. The Tigers, the North Coast Athletic Conference regular season champions, will host a second-round game at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 3 at the HPER Center, They will face the winner of Thursday's first-round game between MacMurray (Ill.) and Maryville (Tenn.).

Wittenberg is making its 21st apperance, has won 40 games and made six trips to the national semifinals, all records for the Division III tournament. The Tigers were awarded the No. 2 seed in a six-team sub-regional bracket and one of 16 teams awarded first-round byes in the 48-team tournament.

Wittenberg spent much of the weekend wondering if they would even make the tournament. The Tigers had a 15-game winning streak snapped with a 59-56 loss to arch-rival Wooster in the finals of the NCAC tournament at the HPER Center. Wooster, with the win, captured the conference tournament for the third straight year, and along with it claimed the NCAC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
The Tigers took the No. 1 seed and homecourt advantage into the championship contest by virtue of victories of Oberlin (84-63 on Feb. 20) and Ohio Wesleyan (70-66 on Feb. 23).

Freshman forward Peter Walker (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) scored a season-high 16 points against Oberlin. Junior guard Greg Rustad (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood) scored seven points in the last 38 seconds against a young but hard-charging unit from Ohio Wesleyan to put the Tigers in the finals.

Wooster, which had lost both regular season meetings to Wittenberg, came out strong early. But Wittenberg battled back in the second half to take the lead on a three-point field goal by sophomore forward B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins) with 13 minutes remaining. The lead then changed hands four times and included two ties heading into the final minute of action, when Wooster's Antwyan Reynolds knocked down a clutch three-pointer with 28 seconds remaining and the score tied at 56. Wittenberg then missed two free throws and two three-pointers in a final desperate flurry.

Two Tigers were selected to the all-tournament team. Junior forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler) had 17 points and 12 rebounds and 42 points and 27 rebounds for the tournament. Senior forward Ryan Taylor (Waynesfield, Ohio/Goshen) was limited to six points against Wooster, but scored 16 in the semifinals against Ohio Wesleyan.

In addition, Taylor, the team's leading scorer at 16.1 points per game, was named first-team All-NCAC for a second time on Tuesday. He was second team a year ago and first team in 1999. Taylor is also a strong candidate for NCAC Player of the Year honors, which will be announced on Monday, March 5.

Joining Taylor in receiving league recognition on Tuesday was sophomore forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler), who was a second team selection after pacing the Tigers in rebounding with almost nine per game. Senior center Chris Fillmore (Barberton, Ohio/Barberton) was rewarded for his steady play in the middle as a second team pick after claiming first-team honors in 2000.

February 19, 2001--(21-2, 15-1 NCAC)

Wittenberg used a stunning second half to defeat No. 1 ranked Wooster, 94-80, Saturday night. The win extended the Tigers' winning streak to 13 straight games and clinched their first North Coast Athletic Conference regular season championship since 1997 and No. 1 seed in the conference tournament, which starts Tuesday, Feb. 20.

For Wooster, ranked No. 1 in the country by d3hoops.com, the loss snapped a 44-game homecourt streak, the longest active streak in NCAA basketball. The Scots were also denied what would have been a record fourth consecutive outright NCAC title.

Wittenberg fell behind early 16-8, but rallied to take the lead briefly before Wooster went on a 9-2 run to take a 44-38 lead with 259 left in the first half. The Tigers came back with an 8-0 run to end the half and take a 46-44 lead into intermission.

The second half was a veritable Red Swarm as the Tigers opened the second half with a 16-5 run and allowed the Scots to only get as close as nine twice after that. Wittenberg, which hasn't been outrebounded all season and leads the nation in rebound margin at more than 14 per game, crushed Wooster on the boards, 58-25 for the game and 23-9 in the second half.

The heroes in the game were almost too many to count for Wittenberg. Sophomore forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler) had 18 points and 17 rebounds, including 11 in the second half. Senior center Chris Fillmore (Barberton, Ohio/Barberton) scored 18 points, including the Tigers first eight points of the game. Senior forward Ryan Taylor (Waynesfield, Ohio/Goshen) added 17 points, including 14 in the second half. The Tigers ninth all-time leading scorer, Taylor has scored 41 points in two games against the Scots.

Freshman point guard Mark Borland (Kettering, Ohio/Alter) had another outstanding game against Wooster. After scoring a season high 21 points against the Scots on Jan. 20 in Springfield, Borland responded with 17 points, five assists and just three turnovers in 27 minutes on Saturday. He also did an oustanding defensive job on Wooster's leading scorer Antwyan Reynolds. Reynolds had 13 points, just 3.5 under his average, but shot just five-of-19 from the field and two-of-10 from three-point range. Junior backup center Brian Gratsch (Maderia, Ohio/Maderia) played probably his best game of the season. He played 14 minutes and was three-of-three from the field and four rebounds.

Wittenberg has won six NCAC regular season championships, four outright (1994-96-97-2000) and two shared (1992-93) and will be the No. 1 seed in the NCAC tournament. The Tigers also clinched their first 20 win season since 1997 and their first in a regular season since 1996.

The Tigers will host No. 8 seed Oberlin (7-17, 4-12) in the NCAC quarterfinals at 7:45 p.m. Tuesday at the HPER Center. If Wittenberg wins it would host the semifinals (Friday) and championship game (Saturday) of the tournament. A win on Tuesday would match the Tigers against Ohio Wesleyan (No. 4 seed) or Wabash (No. 5).

Wittenberg has an all-time record of 21-8 in the NCAC tournament, has won three championships (1990-91-96) and has been runner-up four times (1992-94-95-97).

February 12, 2001--(19-2, 13-1 NCAC)

Wittenberg takes an 11-game winning streak on the road this week for the final two games of the regular season. The Tigers, tied for first in the NCAC with Wooster, travel to Earlham on Wednesday then head to Wooster on Saturday.

Wittenberg defeated Earlham 81-65 in Springfield on Jan. 31, but will need to exercise the demons of a 95-88 triple-overtime loss last year in Richmond.

Saturday's game at Wooster will likely decide the NCAC regular season champion and top seed in the conference tournament starting Feb. 20. The Tigers snapped the Scots' 41-game NCAC winning streak with a 90-83 win in Springfield on Jan. 20 and will set aim Saturday on Wooster's 44-game homecourt winning streak, the longest active in all of NCAA basketball.

The Tigers finished the home portion of their regular season undefeated (12-0) last week, defeating Wabash 97-73 on Feb. 7 and slipping past Allegheny 74-71 on Feb. 10.

Against Wabash, Wittenberg fired in a school-record 19 three-point goals, tying the NCAC record that Ohio Wesleyan set at Wittenberg on Jan. 6. The Tigers shot 58.5 percent (38-of-65) from the field and 63.3 percent (19-of-30) on three-point goals.

Senior forward Ryan Taylor (Waynesfield, Ohio/Goshen) led the Tigers with a game-high 24 points, including six treys. It was Taylor's eighth 20-plus point game of the season, but the first in five games.

Senior center Chris Fillmore (Barberton, Ohio/Barberton) had 10 points, a game- and season-high 11 rebounds, and eight assists. He was just two assists away from becoming the first Wittenberg player ever to record a triple-double.

Junior guard Greg Rustad (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood) added 12 points on four treys and sophomore forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler) contributed 10 points and six rebounds.

Allegheny had lost five of its last six games, including losses of 45 and 23 to Wooster, coming into Saturday's game. But the Gators held a 32-29 halftime lead, then came almost all the way back from a 65-54 deficit with 537 left.

Wittenberg needed one free throw from sophomore backup center B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins) and two from backup guard Chad Mossing (Maumee, Ohio/Springfield) in the final 48 seconds after Allegheny had tied the game at 71.

Taylor was the only Tiger in double figures with 15 points, moving him into 10th place on Wittenberg's all-time scoring list with 1,328 points. He needs just 10 points to pass Tom Weller (1,337 points from 1985-88) for ninth place.

Longley added a game- and team season-high 16 rebounds against Allegheny.

Wittenberg, which has not been outrebounded this season, remained second for the third straight week in the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional rankings, just behind Ohio Athletic Conference leader Ohio Northern and just ahead of Wooster. In the most recent Division III national statistics (through Feb. 4), Wittenberg was ranked first in rebound margin, second in scoring margin (behind Wooster) and 18th in three-point goal percentage. Individually, Taylor was fifth in three-point field goal percentage.

February 5, 2001--(17-2, 11-1 NCAC)

Wittenberg recorded a pair of wins to maintain its share of first place in the North Coast Athletic Conference last week. The Tigers defeated visiting Earlham, 81-65, on Wednesday, Jan. 31 and then struggled before scoring an 85-81 win in overtime at Hiram on Saturday, Feb. 3.

Wittenberg remains tied for first in the NCAC with Wooster and assuming neither team slips in its next three games, appears headed for a showdown in the regular season finale Feb. 17 in the Scots' home gymnasium. It is possible that that game will decide the No. 1 seed and home court advantage for the NCAC Tournament, which starts Feb. 20.

This week, the Tigers will host Wabash on Wednesday and Allegheny on Saturday in their final two regular season home games. The Little Giants promise to provide stiff competition as one of several teams in hot pursuit of the NCAC leaders, while the Gators come in as Wittenberg's 2001 Senior Day opponent. On that occasion, the Tigers will honor four seniors who have compiled a stellar 73-24 career record - Kyle Krauss (Deshler, Ohio/Patrick Henry), Ryan Taylor (Waynesfield, Ohio/Goshen), Chris Fillmore (Barberton, Ohio/Barberton) and Alex Welp (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville).

In the win over Earlham, the Tigers shot 54.2 percent from the field for the game but paid a heavy price for the victory. Senior point guard Kyle Krauss (Deshler, Ohio/Patrick Henry) suffered a broken right hand five minutes into the game and is out indefinitely.

Krauss' backup, freshman Mark Borland (Ketttering, Ohio/Alter), stepped in and scored a game-high 20 points in just 17 minutes. He also had six rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Senior center Chris Fillmore (Barberton, Ohio/Barberton) added 16 points, sophomore backup center B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins) added 14 and sophomore forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler) had 11 points for Wittenberg.

Hiram was a team that had lost seven of its last eight games, but that wasn't the team that greeted Wittenberg on Saturday. The Tigers first lead of the game came at 42-40 on a pair of Borland free throws with one second left in the first half.

Wittenberg charged back from a five-point deficit with four minutes left in regulation, only to blow a five-point lead with 11 seconds left, sending the game into overtime tied at 76. But junior guard Chad Mossing (Maumee, Ohio/Springfield) hit a three-point goal with 239 left in overtime to put the Tigers up for good.

Mossing, who had just two field goals in the previous four games, drilled six three-point goals and scored a team- and season-high 18 points to lead Wittenberg. Senior forward Ryan Taylor (Waynesfield, Ohio/Goshen) scored 17 points, i ncluding 14 in the second half. Junior guard Greg Rustad (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood) scored 13 points and contributed some valuable minutes at point guard in the second half.

The Tigers, who have now won nine straight games and are undefeated at home this season, were again ranked second in last week's NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional rankings. In the most recent Division III national statistics (through Jan. 28), Wittenberg was ranked first in rebound margin, second in scoring margin (behind Wooster), fifth in field goal percentage defense and 19th in three-point goal percentage. Individually, Taylor was fourth in three-point field goal percentage.

January 31, 2001--(15-2, 9-1 NCAC)

Wittenberg picked up a pair of wins last week and remains tied for first place in the North Coast Athletic Conference with Wooster.

The Tigers scored an 87-72 win at Denison (Jan. 24), then rolled in the second half for an 85-50 victory over Oberlin (Jan. 27).

At Denison, Wittenberg used a 20-0 run early in the game to build a 46-31 halftime lead, then used a three-point goal by senior forward Ryan Taylor (Waynesfield, Ohio/Goshen) to pull away, after Denison had moved to within eight points with four minutes left in the game.

Senior center Chris Fillmore (Barberton, Ohio/Barberton) had a game and season-high 21 points to lead the Tigers. Sophomore forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler) added a career-high 20 points and a game-high 10 rebounds and Taylor had 10 points.

Wittenberg shot 56 percent (28 of 50) from the field and a season high 86.7 percent (26 of 30) from the free throw line.

The Tigers struggled in the first half with a determined Oberlin team, led by interim head coach Mike Cavey, a 1999 Wittenberg graduate. The Yeomen opened up a six-point lead in the first four minutes and led for a large part of the first 20 minutes.

Wittenberg took a 34-28 halftime lead and blew the game open with a 21-2 run early in the second half.

Longley led the Tigers with 15 points and was named the NCAC player of the week, Taylor had 12 and sophomore backup center B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins) added a game-high 10 rebounds.

The Tigers host third place Earlham on Wednesday, then head north to face Hiram on Saturday.

January 24, 2001--(13-2, 7-1 NCAC)

The Wittenberg University Tigers moved into a tie for first place in the North Coast Athletic Conference with a pair of wins last week.

The Tigers scored a 66-51 win at Wabash (Jan. 17), then pulled a 90-83 upset win over conference leader and nationally ranked Wooster (Jan. 20) at the HPER Center.

Wittenberg and Wooster, both 7-1 in the NCAC, hold a one-game lead over third place Earlham and a 1 1/2 game advantage over fourth place Wabash at the halfway point of the conference schedule.

At Wabash the Tigers got off to a terrible start, falling behind 10-2 and hitting on just one of their first 12 shots from the field. But sophomore backup center B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins) came off the bench to spark Wittenberg.

He scored the first five points and seven in all in a 17-1 run that put Wittenberg in front for good. Harris finished with a game and career high 26 points on 11-of -13 shooting from the field, to go along with eight rebounds and three steals.

Sophomore forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler) added 12 points. Wittenberg led 26-19 at halftime, despite the fact Longley was the only starter to score in the first half.

That set up the showdown with Wooster, a team that had won three straight games and five of the last seven against Wittenberg.

It was a game of runs. Wittenberg jumped to a 13-4 lead in the first five minutes, only to watch Wooster come back and take a 30-24 lead with 7:41 left in the first half.

The Tigers came back and took the lead for good at 43-40 on a basket and a free throw by freshman backup point guard Mark Borland (Kettering, Ohio/Alter) with 1:03 left in the half.

Wittenberg took a 46-42 lead at halftime on an off-balance three-pointer at the buzzer by senior forward Ryan Taylor (Waynesfield, Ohio/Goshen).

The second half was much like the first, Wittenberg opened up a 56-44 lead in the first 2 1/2 minutes of the second half, only to watch Wooster rally to within 56-54 less than two minutes later.

The Tigers used another spurt to push the lead to 80-70 with just over five minutes left, but the Scots charged back to within 84-83 with 1:15 left.

But Wittenberg scored the final six points of the game on a Taylor jumper and two free throws each from junior guard Greg Rustad (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood) and Borland.

Taylor scored a game high 23 points, while Borland added a career high 21. Rustad had 13 points and Longley a game high 10 rebounds.

The win snapped Wooster’s 41-game NCAC winning streak dating back to January 1999. And when Wittenberg travels to Wooster on Feb. 17, the Tigers could snap Wooster’s homecourt winning streak, which currently stands at 41 games, the longest active in NCAA basketball.

In the NCAC statistics, Taylor leads the conference in three-point field goal percentage (.512) and is second in scoring (18.0), while Harris is first in field goal percentage (.610).

This week the Tigers face the two teams at the bottom of the NCAC standings, traveling to Denison on Wednesday and hosting Oberlin on Saturday.

January 14, 2001-- (11-2, 5-1 NCAC)

The Wittenberg University Tigers may have finally found the range. At least Head Coach Bill Brown hopes so.

On Jan. 3, the Tigers lost a disappointing road game at Otterbein College, 74-69. In that game, Wittenberg never put it all together, going on spurts and showing just flashes of the defensive intensity and offensive execution that had allowed the Tigers to capture the Kiwanis-Wittenberg Holiday Classic a few days previous.

On Jan. 6, Wittenberg returned to North Coast Athletic Conference action and managed to turn away a scrappy outfit from Ohio Wesleyan University, the same crew that had ambushed the Tigers a month earlier in Delaware. In that game, senior Ryan Taylor (Waynesfield, Ohio/Goshen) redeemed himself with a 25-point, five-rebound performance after struggling in the earlier loss at Ohio Wesleyan. Taylor was joined in double figures against OWU, which set an NCAC record with 19 three-pointers in the game, by junior guard Greg Rustad (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood), sophomore center Brian Gratsch (Madeira, Ohio/Madeira) and senior center Chris Fillmore (Barberton, Ohio/Barberton).

Leading the charge in a lackluster Jan. 10 victory over Denison University was sophomore forward/center Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler), who dropped in 14 points to go along with six rebounds. He was the lone Tiger player to reach double figures in the game as 15 players saw action and 13 scored at least two points.

Brown hopes the turning point may have finally come on Jan. 13 at Kenyon College as the Tigers exploded for a 92-47 victory. Wittenberg shot a season-best 62.7 percent from the field in the game, outrebounded the Lords 40-20 and had 14 players find their way into the scoring column. Taylor, who is second in the conference in scoring with 18.3 points per game and tops the NCAC in three-point field goal percentage at .514, led the way with 21 points, while Longley, who is sixth in rebounding at 7.8 boards per game, chipped in with 13 and Rustad, No. 2 in the NCAC in three-point percentage at .489, added 11.

The three-game win streak moves the Tigers back out to 11-2 overall on the 2000-01 season and 5-1 in the NCAC heading into a crucial week. First, Wittenberg visits the third-place Wabash Little Giants on Wednesday. And then on Saturday, the Tigers play host to the nationally ranked, NCAC leading College of Wooster Fighting Scots.

December 4, 2000--(4-0, 0-0 NCAC)

After nearly two weeks off due to the postponement of a game at Case Western Reserve on Nov. 21, the Wittenberg University Tigers came out on fire last week to win a pair of home games over Cedarville College and Thomas More College.

On Nov. 28, the Tigers unleashed all of their weapons in a 119-66 victory over an up-tempo outfit from nearby Cedarville that heaved up 32 three-pointers. Senior forward Ryan Taylor (Waynesfield, Ohio/Goshen) racked up 23 points in just 20 minutes of action, leading five players in double figures. Sophomore forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler) and sophomore forward B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins) each added 16 points, with Harris recording a double-double with 11 rebounds in just 16 minutes of action. Wittenberg, as usual the taller of the two teams, outrebounded the Yellow Jackets 55-29 in the game.

On Dec. 2, Wittenberg romped to another victory over a smaller, undermanned squad from Thomas More, posting an 82-65 victory to improve to 4-0 for the first time since starting the 1993-94 campaign with 26 straight victories. That was Head Coach Bill Brown's first season at the helm, and the Tigers advanced to NCAA Division III Final Four.

Against Thomas More, the Tigers jumped out to a double-digit lead midway through the first half and never allowed the visitors to pull any closer than eight points the rest of the way. Taylor and Longley each posted double-doubles, while junior guard Greg Rustad (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood) and freshman Peter Walker (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) also scored in double figures.

November 22, 2000--(2-0, 0-0 NCAC)

The Wittenberg Univeristy men’s basketball team is expected to challenge for the North Coast Athletic Conference championship as usual in the 2000-2001 season, at least according to both the media representatives and coaches in attendance at Wednesday’s media day festivities in Dublin, Ohio.

In each preseason poll, the Tigers were selected to finish second behind nationally ranked College of Wooster. In each case, Earlham was chosen third and Allegheny was fourth.

The Tigers opened the season on their best note in years by winning the Albion Tip-Off Tourney. Wittenberg won a surprisingly easy game on Friday, downing Rose-Hulman 81-55 victory. Wittenberg shot 54 percent from the field, led by senior Ryan Taylor (Waynesfield, Ohio/Goshen) and his 15 points and sophomore Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler), who scored 14 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. Then on Saturday, Taylor again led the Tigers with 17 points, while Longley contributed nine points and 10 rebounds as the host Britons fell 64-62 in the championship game.

It was the first season-opening tournament that the Tigers have won since Head Coach Bill Brown took over the reins in 1994-95. Taylor was named tournament MVP for his performance.

Wittenberg’s game against Case Western Reserve in Cleveland on Tuesday was postponed due to heavy snowfall in the area. No make-up date was immediately announced.