With the season now complete, one last accolade came rolling alongrecently. Junior center B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins) was selected second team All-Great Lakes Region by a panel of Sports Information Directors voting for d3hoops.com.  Harris, a first-team All-NCAC selection, averaged 12.6 points and 8.5 rebounds during the season and had 12 double-doubles to his credit.

Brown Harris Longley Rustad

All season, there had been few mountains too large to climb for the Wittenberg University Tiger men's basketball team. On Saturday, the peak that the Tigers encountered at DePauw University in the second round of the NCAA Division III tournament was exactly that. The Tigers rallied valiantly late in the game, but they eventually ran out of time, falling to DePauw 89-76. The loss ended Wittenberg's season after North Coast Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championships. The Tigers, who defeated Franklin College at home on Thursday to move into the second round, conclude the 2001-02 campaign with a sparkling 26-4 overall record.  The season has now ended for Wittenberg, and the postseason honors are now rolling in. For the second year in a row, Head Coach Bill Brown was named NCAC Coach of the Year, while junior center B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins) claimed first-team all-conference honors for thei first time in his career and junior forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler) and senior guard Greg Rustad (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood) were named to the All-NCAC second teams. For Brown, it was the fourth NCAC Coach of the Year honor of his career and his third since returning to his alma mater in 1994. His career record is now 266-150, while his mark at Wittenberg is now 206-51. Harris led the Tigers in scoring and rebounding in his first year as a starter, and he wound up with 12 double-doubles on the season, including three in his last five games. Longley, who was second on the team in scoring and rebounding, was a second-team choice a year ago, while Rustad, third on the team in scoring and second in assists, garnered postseason honors for the first time. Against DePauw, the Tigers fell behind 51-42 by the end of a frenetic first half. Seventh-ranked DePauw, champion of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference and owner of a 23-3 record, pulled away from a 24-24 tie to outscore Wittenberg 27-18 in the final 10 minutes of the half, thanks in large part to 59 percent shooting from the field. In the second 20 minutes, Wittenberg got down by as much as 18 points midway through the half before rallying to within nine points three different times, but could get no closer as the bounces just didn't go the Tigers' way. For the game, DePauw knocked down 54 percent of its shots and turned the ball over just eight times. Wittenberg was paced offensively by sophomore guard Rod Emmons (South Bend, Ind./John Adams), who hit five of his first six shots in the game and finished with a team-high 21 points. The Tigers also got double figure scoring performances from Harris, who had his 12th double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, Longley with 11 points and sophomore forward Peter Walker (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) with 10 points. That came just two nights after the Tigers put together a huge second half to overwhelm visiting Franklin College 75-44 at the HPER Center in NCAA Division III tournament first round action.

For the 10th straight game, Wittenberg outscored its foes in the second 20 minutes of action, this time expanding a 27-19 halftime lead to 48-20 with 13 minutes remaining in the game. By the time the Grizzlies, champions of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, recovered the game was too far out of reach.

rebounding margin for a second straight year, and the Grizzlies, winners of eight straight games on the strength of a high-scoring fast-break, guard-oriented offense. Wittenberg's inside strength turned out to be the difference as the Tigers, who improved to 26-3 on the season, outrebounded the Grizzlies 46-23 and held Franklin to just 44 points, 39 below their season average.

Wittenberg was paced by another oustanding performance by B.J. Harris, who turned in his 11th double-double of the season with 19 points and 13 rebounds. When Harris wasn't punishing the Grizzlies in the paint, Longley was hitting for 10 points and five rebounds before departing with an ankle injury in the second half, and senior center Brian Gratsch (Madeira, Ohio/Madeira) was coming off the bench to pour in 10 points and six boards.Next: Season Complete

Rod Emmons

The Wittenberg University men's basketball team believed all season that it was good enough to compete on a national level. Now Head Coach Bill Brown and his North Coast Athletic Conference regular season and tournament champion Tigers will get their opportunity to prove it. Wittenberg, owners of a 25-3 overall record following Saturday's thrilling 58-57 NCAC tournament championship game win over archrival Wooster, will square off at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28 with the Franklin (Ind.) College in an NCAA Division III tournament first round game at the HPER Center. A win on Thursday against unranked Franklin would advance the Tigers, who are ranked 11th in the nation by d3hoops.com, to a second round match-up on Saturday, March 2 with 10th-ranked DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind. The Tigers were placed in an incredibly difficult 12-team regional bracket that includes seventh-ranked Ohio Athletic Conference champion Otterbein College, second-ranked University Athletic Association Washington (Mo.) University, sixth-ranked Randolph-Macon College and 24th-ranked Maryville (Tenn.) College. A year after the Tigers advanced to the round of 16 before losing to eventual Final Four participant Ohio Northern University, Wittenberg will have its work cut out to advance to an NCAA Division III record seventh tournament semifinals.

Wittenberg is the winningest NCAA Division III basketball program of all-time with 1,437 victories, and has made the most NCAA Division III tournament appearances of all-time. The 2002 berth is the 21st for the program since the division was created in 1975, and the Tigers have an overall record of 41-20, giving them the most tournament wins of all-time. Including seven appearances in the old college division, Wittenberg has played in 83 NCAA tournament games, winning 55 and two national titles - in 1961 and 1977. The Tigers have also made eight national semifinal appearances, including a record six in NCAA Division III. The last trip to the championship tournament came in 1994, Brown's first year as head coach of his alma mater, and the Tigers finished third.
Franklin is 20-8 overall and champion of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. This is the program's fourth NCAA Division III appearance in the last five seasons.

To reach the postseason, Wittenberg had to run a very difficult gauntlet last week, defeating three NCAC foes for a third time this season. In winning the NCAC tournament for the first time since 1996, the Tigers toppled eighth-seeded Earlham on Tuesday, fourth-seeded Ohio Wesleyan on Friday and second-seeded Wooster on Saturday. All three games were played Wittenberg's HPER Center, home of the top-seeded Tigers.
Wittenberg started a little slow against Earlham but finished strong, burying the visiting Quakers in an avalanche of post maneuvers for a 78-51 quarterfinal win. The Tigers trailed by as much as seven points in the first half and struggled to take a 36-31 lead into the locker room as halftime. But the second half was all Wittenberg as the Tigers shot 52.6 percent from the field and limited Earlham to just 25 percent shooting in outscoring the eighth-seeded Quakers 42-20 in the final 20 minutes.Wittenberg, which outrebounded the Quakers by a whopping 50-25 margin and got 37 points from its reserves against just one point for Earlham, was led by junior center B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins), who hit for 21 points and 15 rebounds in just 22 minutes of action. Harris best game statistically was his 10th double-double of the 2001-02 season. Sophomore forward Peter Walker (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) had nine points in 15 minutes off the bench and senior center Brian Gratsch (Madeira, Ohio/Madeira) and freshman guard Danny Brywczynski (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) each chipped in with eight points off the bench.

Wittenberg defeated Ohio Wesleyan in a hotly contested semifinal game, 75-69, a margin of victory that was actually the largest in three Tiger wins over the Bishops in 2001-02. The win advanced the Tigers to the NCAC championship game for the second straight year and the eighth time since joining the league prior to the 1989-90 season.

Bucheit

Walker

The Tigers, who lead the nation in rebound margin for a second straight year at more than 12 per game, topped OWU on the glass by a 41-32 margin, including a 17-8 advantage in offensive boards. Otherwise, things were amazingly even as both teams shot just under 50 percent from the field and around 40 percent from three-point range. Wittenberg was led offensively by sophomore guard Rod Emmons (South Bend, Ind./John Adams), who knocked down four first-half three-pointers en route to 13 total points in the game. Harris joined him double figures with 12 points and seven rebounds, including five on the offensive end. All 10 Tiger players who saw action in the game scored at least three points, and every one of them had at least one rebound.

In Saturday's championship game, Wittenberg held just two leads but one of them was the lead that mattered most. Trailing Wooster by two points, the Tigers were rescued by three clutch foul shots by senior guard Greg Rustad (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood) with eight seconds remaining as they pulled out a 58-57 win.

Wittenberg trailed the entire first half, at one point by 10 points at 22-12, before rallying to within one by halftime. They did it by ratcheting up the defense and limiting the Scots to just two points in the final 10 minutes of the first half.

In the second half, Wittenberg showed a lot of heart, once again clamping down on the Scots and asserting itself on the boards. Freshman forward Andy Bucheit (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) hit several key shots down the stretch and Gratsch knocked down a clutch shot in the lane with 2:05 remaining to force a tie at 55, setting the stage for Rustad's heroics. The Tigers also got a huge performance from Walker off the bench with six points and 11 rebounds.

Harris was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.

Next: 2/28 vs. Franklin, 7:30 p.m.

Rustad

Harris

It was a script that Hollywood screenwriters would envy. Last Saturday, the Wittenberg University men's and women's basketball teams both concluded their regular seasons in dramatic fashion, wrapping up North Coast Athletic Conference championships with wins over top contenders.  The Tiger men put the wraps on a historic day by taking out archrival Wooster 68-66 on the Scots' home court before 3,200 boisterous fans. The Tigers, who held a slim one-game lead over Wooster coming into the game,

The week started off with a tough match-up against Earlham, one that the Tigers won with a strong second half. The hard-fought 81-60 victory over the Quakers clinched a share of a share of the NCAC title. 

The two teams played a tight first half as Earlham stayed close to Wittenberg by outscoring the host Tigers 24-3 from behind the three-point arc. But in the paint, the Tigers were eating up the Quakers behind the one-two punch of junior forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler) and junior center B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins). 

In the second half, Wittenberg turned up the defensive pressure and continued its frontal assault at the offensive end. The result was 29 percent shooting by the Quakers in the second half and a 41-23 Tiger advantage. Another key stat that contributed to the eventual 21-point margin of victory was Wittenberg's rebounding advantage, a 42-27 difference.
 

Four players finished in double figures in scoring, led by Harris' 19 points and seven rebounds. Rustad played a fine all-around game with 15 points, six assists and 8-for-8 shooting from the free throw line while committing no turnovers in 26 minutes of action. Longley finished with his first double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and senior center Brian Gratsch (Madeira, Ohio/Madeira) came off the bench to contribute 10 points and five rebounds in just 17 minutes.  Against Wooster on Saturday, the Tigers once again showed why basketball is a team game and that they have plenty of members who can step up in the clutch.  Wooster led the game by six at intermission and led almost the entire game. But Wittenberg wasn't to be denied as the Tigers won the regular season finale at Wooster for a second straight year. Trailing 50-38 atthe 13:55 mark of the second half, the Tigers slowly began to whittle the lead down. A dunk off a steal by Longley brought the Tiger crowd to itsfeet at the 8:32 mark, but the Scots pushed the lead back out to nine at the 4:23 mark. That's when Wittenberg

Gratsch

went on a 12-0 run that included two lay-ups by sophomore forward PeterWalker (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier), a free throw by Longley and then a three-pointer by Rod Emmons (South Bend, Ind./John Adams). Then Rustad took a pass in the corner and was fouled while making a three-pointer with 2:03 remaining and made it a four-point play after making the ensuing foul shot. 

That gave Wittenberg its first lead since the 4:08 mark of the first half, a lead that was preserved when freshman guard Danny Brywczynski(Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) stole an inbounds pass with four seconds left. Longley and Harris shared Tiger scoring honors with with 12 points, while Harris added a game-high 10 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season. Emmons chipped in with 11 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field, including 3-of-3 from three-point range, while Rustad wound up with 10 points. 

The Tiger men are riding a streak of 46 consecutive non-losing seasons and have now won 29 Ohio Athletic Conference or North Coast Athletic Conferenceregular season titles since 1960, including nine crowns in the 13 years in which the Tigers have competed in the NCAC. Wittenberg is the No. 1seed in the conference tournament and will likely host the conference tournament semifinals and finals this weekend. Tourney action gets underway on Tuesday as eighth-seeded Earlham comes calling at the HPER Center at 7:45 p.m. 

Next: 2/19 vs. Earlham, 7:45 p.m.

February 12, 2002 -

Head Coach Bill Brown

With one week left in the 2001-02 regular season, the Wittenberg Tiger men's basketball team is sitting in the catbird's seat - alone in first place in the North Coast Athletic Conference, ranked among the nation's Top 25 and among the region's Top 5 and in firm control of its own destiny.The Tigers head into a week that includes a home game against Earlham on Wednesday and a road game on Saturday against archrival Wooster one game ahead of the Scots, who were surprised on their home court by third-place Wabash on last Saturday. Last week was a good one for the Tigers, but also a bit scary. Things started off well enough as Wittenberg took an early lead at Ohio Wesleyan last Wednesday, only to have the Bishops battle back to take a lead into the locker room. The second half was almost the same script as the visiting Tigers jumped out to a double-digit advantage, only to have OWU tie the game at 64-64. That's when sophomore guard Mark Borland (Kettering,Ohio/Archbishop Alter) stepped up big-time, draining what turned out to be a game-winning three-pointer with 30 seconds remaining.  From there the Tigers held on for a hard fought victory over the Bishops 67-64, avenging a 94-83 loss at Ohio Wesylean in last year's NCAC opener.

Borland led all scorers as he poured in 17 points, his best offensive output of the season. He was joined in double figures by senior guard Greg Rustad (Lakewood, Ohio/ Lakewood) with 14 points. Junior center B.J. Harris (Dayton, Ohio/ Stebbins) had an off night offensively with only four points, eight below his team-leading average, but he grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.
 

The Tigers rounded out the week by dominating Hiram 103-60 win on Senior Night at the HPER Center before 1120 noisy fans, in the process breaking the school record for three-pointers in a game with 20 and handing Head Coach Bill Brown his 200th career victory.

The Tigers sprinted out to a 55-23 halftime lead and coasted from that point. All 14 players who saw action in the game scored at least two points and five players hit for double figures. Sophomore guard Rod Emmons (South Bend, Ind./John Adams) paced the winners with 13 points, Rustad and freshman forward Andy Bucheit (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) each had 12 points, and Borland and sophomore forward Peter Walker (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) chipped in with 10 apiece.

The Tigers obliterated the school record for three-pointers taken in a game with 49 and set a new standard for treys made with 20. Bucheit and Rustad each had four triples as 10 players hit at least one in the game.

For Brown, the win was a landmark one for his career, but he characteristically was more concerned with his current team and its situation. He deflected congratulations after the game, instead talking about how privileged he is to be coaching at a place like Wittenberg and to have been associated with so many great people as a coach in Springfield.
 
"I so enjoy the guys who I get to be around every day," said Brown, a native of West Liberty, Ohio and a 1973 Wittenberg University graduate."I don't base the success of this programs solely on wins and losses. I look at it from the aspect of what do the student-athletes who played for me do after they leave Wittenberg and how they continue to interact with the program and its current members even after they graduate.

"Two hundred wins is nice, but what I like best is the people."

The 103-66 win over Hiram improved the 2001-02 Wittenberg team to 20-3 overall and, coupled with a loss by Wooster earlier in the day, put theTigers in sole possession of first place in the NCAC at 13-1. Wittenberg has not had a losing season since 1955-56, and under Brown the Tigers have put together nine consecutive outstanding seasons. His teams have won at least 18 games every year, they have claimed four NCAC regular season titles and one NCAC tournament crown, and the Tigers have made the NCAA Division III Championship tournament five times.

Among the highlights during the last nine years were a 26-0 start in 1993-94 en route to a third-place finish in the nation, an NCAA Elite Eight finish in 1995-96, and last year's 24-4 record that included an NCAC regular season championship and an NCAA Division III Sweet Sixteen appearance. Brown won his 100th game at Wittenberg on March 6, 1997 in the first round of the NCAA tournament against John Carroll University. A significant career milestone arrived when he won his 200th career game on Nov. 24, 1999 against Wilmington. He won 60 games in his career before arriving at Wittenberg in 1993.

Brown's next milestone victory figures to come sometime in the 2003-04 season. With a career mark of 260-149, he needs 40 more wins to reach the 300-win plateau, a figure that just 50 active Division III coaches have previously reached.

Next:   2/13 vs. Earlham, 7:30 p.m.
     2/16 @ Wooster, 7:30 p.m.

Seniors - Rustad, Gratsch, and Mossing.

It was back to business for the Wittenberg Tiger men's basketball team last week, and back to their usual form as well. After playing a tough stretch of conference games, including an exciting 75-70 win over arch-rival Wooster on Jan. 26, the Tigers put together a pair of dominating performances last week in defeating Earlham on Wednesday and Allegheny on Saturday. The two wins moved Wittenberg to 11-1 in the North Coast Athletic Conference, tied with Wooster, which hosts the Tigers in their annual regular season finale on

Last week against the Quakers, Wittenberg held its hosts scoreless for the first eight minutes of the game, and coasted from that point to a 70-38 win. The Tigers punished Earlham with their strong inside game as both junior forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler) and junior center B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins) had double-figure scoring nights. Longley had his best scoring night of the season, hitting for 20 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field. Harris, the team's leading scorer and rebounder, had another fine all-around game with 10 points and nine boards, just missing his eighth double-double of the season. He also had a season-high three blocks.

Wittenberg led 11-0 through the first eight minutes of the game and held a 28-16 advantage by halftime. The Tigers, who shot just below 50 percent while holding the Quakers to just 25.5 percent shooting for the game, then outscored Earlham 42-22 in the second half.

Returning home on Saturday, the Tigers did all the little things they had to do in capturing an 86-61 home victory over the Allegheny Gators. After Allegheny pulled to within three points with 8:38 remaining in the first half, the Tigers went on a 12-0 run to start to pull away. Harris had five points during that run and sophomore forward Peter Walker (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) had four. After taking a 13-point lead into the locker room, Wittenberg was struggling early in the second half before getting it going again, taking off on a 22-10 run in the middle of the half to enlarge the lead to 19 again. Freshman forward Andy Bucheit (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) had two of his four three-pointers during the run, while Harris added five of his game-high 17 points.

Harris wound up with his eighth double-double of the season with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Longley chipped in with 15 points and eight boards, senior forward Chad Mossing (Maumee, Ohio/Holland Springfield) had 10 points and four caroms, and Bucheit came off the bench to stroke 4-of-5 three-pointers to finish with 14 points.

The Tigers have two more busy weeks of NCAC action remaining before the conference tournament opens with quarterfinal action on Feb. 19. Wittenberg is already assured of a home game in the quarterfinals, and would secure home court advantage for the last two rounds by winning the regular season title for a second straight year.

After a pivotal road game on Wednesday against Ohio Wesleyan, the Tigers return home for Senior Recognition Day against Hiram. Three Tiger players will be honored  - Mossing, center Brian Gratsch (Madeira, Ohio/Madeira) and guard Greg Rustad (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood). At halftime of that game, athletes from all Wittenberg sports will be recognized for their accomplishments in a special annual ceremony.

Next: 2/6 @ Ohio Wesleyan, 7:30 p.m.
          2/9 vs. Hiram, 7:30 p.m.

Borland

A college sports season can resemble a rollercoaster ride, and that was certainly the case for the Wittenberg men's basketball team last week. Just one day after breaking into the national top 10 for the first time this season, the Tigers were ambushed by a pumped-up Wabash team and its raucous fans on Wednesday. Returning home for the biggest game of the season,the Tigers put together perhaps their most complete team effort in capturing a crucial victory over arch-rival Wooster on Saturday. The end result? Wittenberg is back on top of the North Coast Athletic Conference standings, tied with Wooster heading into what promises to bean exciting stretch run. The Tigers are now 16-3 overall and 9-1 in the NCAC, while Wooster is 15-4 and 9-1 in the conference.

The Tigers hit the big shots, especially as Wooster made a tremendous charge in the second half, they limited turnovers and they shot 50 percent from three-point range, including a 6-of-11 performance in the second half alone. With 3:32 remaining in the game, Wooster tied the game on two free throws. Sophomore guard Mark Borland (Kettering, Ohio/Alter) came right back and scored on a drive at 3:10 to break the tie. Borland then added four straight free throws to keep the Scots at bay, despite a three-pointer.
 

The difference in the game was a 34-13 advantage in points off the bench for Wittenberg. All 10 players who entered the game for Wittenberg scored at least two points, and seven different players had at least eight points in the game. Leading the charge was Borland, who had 12 points and five assists, and sophomore guard Rod Emmons (South Bend, Ind./John Adams), who had a huge jumper in the final minute as part of his 11-point, four-rebound night. Three players finished with nine points - senior forward Chad Mossing (Maumee, Ohio/Holland Springfield), sophomore forward Peter Walker (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) and senior center Brian Gratsch (Madeira, Ohio/Madeira). That win came on the heels of a disappointing trip to Crawfordsville, Ind. on Wednesday. Against Wabash, it was one of those nights when the big shots just wouldn't fall, the turnovers came at the worst times possible and the underdog host team and its rabid fans were at their best. It all added up to a 77-65 for Wittenberg's first NCAC loss.

Mossing

Wittenberg struggled early before going on a run to tie the game at 17 midway through the first half. But by the time the two teams headed to the locker room, the Tigers were trailing by 12 points, which turned out to be the final surprising margin. Wabash kept the pressure on throughout the game, shooting over 50 percent in both halves, committing just 10 turnovers and putting three players in double figures in scoring.

Leading the statistical charge for Wittenberg was junior forward/center B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins), who hit for his seventh double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds. He was joined in double figures by Emmons with 11 points and Gratsch, who had a season-high 10 points and six rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench.

The Tigers return to action on Wednesday with another tough road game, this time at Earlham against the schizophrenic Quakers, who since defeating the No. 3 team in the nation, DePauw on Jan. 4, have won just one game. Then Wittenberg returns home on Saturday to face Allegheny for a 3 p.m. tipoff. All games can be heard on WBLY AM 1600 in Springfield or via the Internet at http://www5.wittenberg.edu/news/athletics/broadcast.shtml.

Next:   1/30 @ Earlham, 7:30 p.m.
             2/2 vs. Allegheny, 3 p.m.

Rustad

Walker

The Tigers had an up-and-down week, but by the end of it the only thing that mattered was that they remained on top of the North Coast Athletic Conference with a perfect 8-0 record. Wittenberg defeated Ohio Wesleyan at home last Wednesday, rallying from a five-point halftime deficit to take a 13-point lead with just over two minutes remaining and then hung on down the stretch to post a 70-68 win. On Saturday, the Tigers defeated another visiting NCAC foe, cruising past Denison 100-69.

The wins kept the 17th-ranked Tigers on pace for a huge showdown this Saturday against Wooster, which is also unbeaten in conference action. Wittenberg will host the Scots, who won the NCAC tournament last year after the Tigers had won the regular season crown, on Saturday.

Against OWU, the Tigers fell behind 34-29 at halftime. But sophomore guard Mark Borland (Kettering, Ohio/Alter) scored the first four points of the second half and sparked the struggling Tiger offense to take the lead just two minutes into the final stanza. He was the catalyst as Wittenberg raced out to a 66-53 lead with 2:39 remaining in the game. But then OWU put on an aggressive full-court press and closed the margin to just two with 30 seconds left. Tiger forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler) saved the day, however, stealing the ball with three seconds left as the Bishops set up for a final shot.

For the game, Borland paced the Tiger offense with 14 points, four rebounds, five assists and four steals. He was joined in double figures by senior guard Greg Rustad (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood) with 11 and sophomore forward Peter Walker (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) with 10. Junior forward/center B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins) finished with eight points and 10 rebounds.

Against Denison, Wittenberg came out strong and buried the Big Red, 100-69. The win was Wittenberg's 23rd consecutive in regular season NCAC action, dating back to Dec. 6, 2000 at Ohio Wesleyan. The record is 35 straight by Wooster from 1999-2001.

Wittenberg was in control from the outset, breaking a 2-2 tie in the opening minute by scoring 28 straight points. From that point, the Tigers had it on cruise control in defeating Denison for the 56th time in the last 57 games. The Big Red haven't won in Springfield since 1954.

The Tigers shot a sizzling 71.4 percent in the first half, including 8-for-10 from three-point range. For the game, Wittenberg shot 61.8 percent from the field, 62.5 percent from three-point range and 78.6 percent from the free throw line.
Leading the charge for Wittenberg was B.J. Harris, who hit for 15 points and five rebounds. Also in double figures were Greg Rustad with 13 points, sophomore guard Rod Emmons (South Bend, Ind./John Adams) with 12 points, sophomore forward Van Richardson (Lebanon, Ohio/Lebanon) with a career-high 12 points and Peter Walker with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Next: 1/23 @ Wabash, 7:30 p.m.
          1/26 vs. Wooster, 7:30 p.m.

B.J. Harris

Chad Mossing

The Wittenberg University men's basketball team is off to its customary outstanding start, with its only two defeats coming to No. 4-ranked Wheaton College on Nov. 17 and No. 19-ranked Otterbein College on Jan. 2. The Tigers, the defending North Coast Athletic Conference regular season champion and owners of a phenomenal streak of 45 straight non-losing seasons, stand atop the NCAC once again with a perfect 6-0 record and are ranked 17thin the nation with an overall record of 13-2. After a three-game stretch against some of weakest teams in

Last week, the Tigers defeated Kenyon at home on Wednesday and Hiramon the road on Saturday. They started out the week by jumping out to a big early lead and putting it on cruise control by halftime in dispatching Kenyon, 86-53 at the HPER Center in Springfield. The Tigers were never threatened after falling behind early 2-0 and then going on a 9-point run. Wittenberg played 16 players in the game, 12 of whom scored at least two points. The Tigers shot 48 percent to Kenyon's 34 and enjoyed one of their best nights of the season from the free throw line - 23-of-32 for 71.9 percent.

The Tiger offense showed off its usual balance, led by junior center B.J.Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins), who topped all scorers with 16 points. Senior forward Chad Mossing (Maumee, Ohio/Holland Springfield) chipped in with 15 points, including 5-of-9 on three-pointers, and junior forward KevinLongley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler) contributed 14 points and eight rebounds. In addition, sophomore guard Mark Borland (Kettering, Ohio/Alter) had six assists, senior guard Greg Rustad (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood)had five assists and freshman guard Danny Brywczynski (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont)had five helpers.

Then on Saturday, Wittenberg destroyed Hiram College right out of the locker room for a 91-51 victory. The Tigers claimed an early lead and then put the game out of reach with a 26-point run, stretching a 7-4 lead to 33-4 with a little more than six minutes remaining in the first half. For the game, the Tigers shot better than 50 percent from the floor and better than 70 percent from the free throw line, and they did their usual work on the boards, outrebounding the Terriers 46-24.

As usual, the Tiger offense was deep and balanced as five players finished in double figures in scoring. B.J. Harris showed the way with 17 points and eight rebounds, Kevin Longley finished with 12 points on 6-of-6 shooting and seven rebounds, freshman forward Andy Bucheit (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) chipped in with 12 points and four boards, Chad Mossing wound up with 11 points and a season-high five rebounds, and Mark Borland added 10 points.

Next:   1/16 vs. Ohio Wesleyan, 7:30 p.m.
            1/19 vs. Denison, 7:30 p.m.

Walker

Rustad

The Tigers continued their impressive early season winning ways last week with a pair of North Coast Athletic Conference victories. The week started off with a solid 90-69 victory over visiting Wabash College on Wednesday, and rounded out with a hard-fought 72-66 road win at Allegheny College on Saturday.  Against Wabash, the Tigers trailed for about 30 seconds in the opening minute of the game and then kicked it into overdrive, eventually breaking the game open with a 24-9 run in the last seven minutes of the first half.

The Tigers then took one of their longest road trips of the season Saturday. Despite some struggles, Wittenberg came away with a solid 72-66 win over Allegheny to run its record to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the NCAC.
Leading the charge against the Gators, a much-improved team with five returning starters off a youthful, last-place team a year ago, was senior guard Greg Rustad (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood), who filled it up for a career-high 27 points. He was 8-of-15 from the floor in the game, including 5-of-11 from three-point range. He also added seven rebounds in the game, the second-best total on the team.
The best total in the rebounding category was turned in by junior forwardKevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler), who snared a career-high 16 rebounds, including six at the offensive end.Next:
12/12 @ Urbana, 7:30 p.m.
12/22 @ Thomas More, 3 p.m.
 

Emmons

Rustad

It's not a good idea to upset a sleeping Tiger. Apparently that's what the Wheaton Tornadoes did in upending Wittenberg on Nov. 17. Since then, Case Western Reserve, Cedarville and Denison have paid the price. Wittenberg demolished Case Western by 40 points two weeks ago, and then last week the Tigers continued to punish their foes, taking to the road to crush neighboring rival Cedarville 108-66 on Tuesday and North Coast Athletic Conference rival Denison 96-60 on Saturday.

Against Cedarville, the Tigers beat the host team at its own game, burning the nets for 10 three-pointers in the opening half to take a 62-30 lead into the locker room at halftime. Sophomore guard Rod Emmons (South Bend, Ind./John Adams) hit all five of three-pointers in the first half and finished with a team-high 15 points. Joining him in double figures were sophomore guard Mark Borland (Kettering, Ohio/Alter), senior guard Greg Rustad (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood), junior forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler) and junior forward/center B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins). Harris nearly put together a triple-double, finishing with 10 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.

As if that offensive barrage weren't enough, the Tigers kept it going Saturday at Denison. Senior forward Chad Mossing (Maumee, Ohio/Holland Springfield) led the way with 16 points, including 4-of-7 from three-point range. All five starters finished in double figures in points, while sophomore forward Peter Walker (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) chipped in with eight points and a team-high 10 rebounds off the bench.

Next: 12/5 vs. Wabash, 7:30 p.m.
 

Mossing

Walker

Rebounding from a tough loss in the final of the Lee Pfund Classic at Wheaton College, where the Tigers were beaten by the host Tornadoes in the title game, 77-72, Wittenberg put together an outstanding effort in defeating visiting Case Western Reserve University 85-45 last Tuesday in its home opener at the HPER Center. Wittenberg broke the game open early, breaking a 10-10 first-half tie with 18 unanswered points. Senior guard Chad Mossing (Maumee, Ohio/Holland Springfield) finished the game with with 17 points - tops on both teams - as he drained five three-point shots and a pair of free throws in the game. Sophomore forward Peter Walker (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) had an outstanding game off the bench, dropping in 11 points and grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds.

Harris

Longley

The Tigers hit the road to open the 2001 season last weekend, defeating top regional NAIA power Mt. Vernon Nazarene, 69-66, on Friday in the first round of the Lee Pfund Classic at Wheaton College before falling in the title game 77-72 against the host Tornadoes. The Tigers, the winningest program in NCAA Division III history with more than 1,400 all-time victories, were paced offensively by junior forward B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins), who nearly had two double-doubles. He totaled 18 points and nine rebounds against Mt. Vernon Nazarene and then chipped in with

12 points and 10 boards against the victorious host team. He was joined in double figures in the opener by junior forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler), who had 12 points and seven rebounds, and in the championship game by senior guard Chad Mossing (Maumee, Ohio/Holland Springfield) with 12 points and sophomore point guard Mark Borland (Kettering, Ohio/Archbishop Alter) with 18.

In the opener, the Tigers pulled away late in the game after trailing by six points at halftime. The Tigers shot a respectable 48.3 percent for the game, including a strong 55.6 in the second 20 minutes. But against Wheaton, the Tigers battled to a 72-72 tie, only to be outscored 5-0 in the final three minutes to fall to the host Tornadoes.

Longley and Harris both were named to the All-Tournament team.

Next: 11/20 vs. Case Western Reserve

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November 14, 2001 -

Longley

Rustad

The Tigers, the winningest team in NCAA Division III history, return to action this weekend in a tip-off tournament at Wheaton (Ill.) College. Wittenberg will take on Mount Vernon Nazarene, an NAIA competitor, in the first round at Wheaton.  Leading the way for the Tigers in 2001-02 is junior forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler), who was second on the team in scoring and first in rebounding on a team that led the nation in rebound margin at more than 14 per game in 2000-01. A second-team All-NCAC selection last year, Longley also paced the team in steals with 39 and ranked second in field goal percentage at .587.

Also figuring prominently in the Tigers' plans are senior guard Greg Rustad (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood), a long-range sharpshooter who started all 28 games last year and contributed 7.8 points per game, and junior forward B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins), who came off the bench to contribute 8.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. They will be joined in the 2001-02 rotation by two sophomores who gained valuable experience in their inaugural collegiate season, point guard Mark Borland (Kettering, Ohio/Archbishop Alter) and forward Peter Walker (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier), senior three-point bomber Chad Mossing (Maumee, Ohio/Holland Springfield) and senior center Brian Gratsch (Madeira, Ohio/Madeira). Only Mossing didn't appear in all 28 games last year due to injury. Wittenberg will be trying to extend its phenomenal string of non-losing seasons to 45 consecutive. The Tigers' last losing campaign was in 1955-56, and the current streak includes one .500 record, in 1967-68. Next: 11/16-17 @ Wheaton Tournament

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November 6, 2001 -

Harris

Longley

The Wittenberg Tigers, the winningest team in NCAA Division III history, return eight letterwinners from one of the deepest, most relentless teams in the country in 2000. Despite the loss of NCAC Player of the Year and second-team All-American Ryan Taylor and three other seniors, the Tigers return a solid nucleus in 2001-02.  Leading the way is junior forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler), who was second on the team in scoring and first in rebounding on a team that led the nation in rebound margin at more than 14 per game in 2000-01. A second-team All-NCAC selection last year, Longley also paced the team in steals with 39 and ranked second in field goal percentage at .587.

Also figuring prominently in the Tigers' plans are senior guard Greg Rustad (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood), a long-range sharpshooter who started all 28 games last year and contributed 7.8 points per game, and junior forward B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins), who came off the bench to contribute 8.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. They will be joined in the 2001-02 rotation by two sophomores who gained valuable experience in their inaugural collegiate season, point guard Mark Borland (Kettering, Ohio/Archbishop Alter) and forward Peter Walker (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier), senior three-point bomber Chad Mossing (Maumee, Ohio/Holland Springfield) and senior center Brian Gratsch (Madeira, Ohio/Madeira). Only Mossing didn't appear in all 28 games last year due to injury.

Wittenberg will be trying to extend its phenomenal string of non-losing seasons to 45 consecutive. The Tigers' last losing campaign was in 1955-56, and the current streak includes one .500 record, in 1967-68.

Next: 11/16-17
@ Wheaton Tournament