Posted February 24 2001, 10:16 pm
Posted by: Ryan Maurer
SPRINGFIELD - In a game that looked nothing like its two predecessors, the College of Wooster Fighting Scots and the Wittenberg University Tigers brawled for 40 minutes before the second-seeded Scots came away with an emotional 59-56 victory over the top-seeded and host Tigers. The victory improves Wooster to 24-3 on the 2000-01 season and earns the Scots their third consecutive automatic berth in the NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament, which begins March 1.
Wooster came out strong early, jumping on top and holding an 8-to-10 point lead throughout most of the first 20 minutes of the game. But Wittenberg battled back in the second half to take the lead on a three-point field goal by sophomore forward B.J. Harris with 13 minutes remaining. The lead then changed hands four times and included two ties heading into the final minute of action.
That's when Wooster's junior point guard Antwyan Reynolds buried a three-pointer with 28 seconds remaining. Wittenberg then missed two free throws and two three-pointers in a desperate final flurry to give Wooster the hard-earned victory.
Hardly a thing of beauty after two high-scoring, well-played game earlier in the season - both of which were won by eventual regular season champion Wittenberg - the game was bruising and intense, and the season-high crowd of 2,475 screaming fans never lost their intensity either. Wooster, which shot 55 percent from the field in the first half and then a dreadful 30 percent in the second half, was led by the herculean effort of sophomore center Bryan Nelson, who scored 31 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to earn Tournament MVP honors. Reynolds, who made the All-Tournament Team, added 12 points and six assists.
For Wittenberg, the shooting percentages were that much worse, which ended up being the difference in the game. The Tigers made just 33 percent from the field in the game, including a stunning 27 percent in the second half. Even worse, the Tigers managed just 64 percent from the free throw line, including a disastrous 47 percent in the final 20 minutes. Despite those numbers, All-Tournament Team selection Kevin Longley did shine, scoring 17 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in 27 minutes of action. Senior forward Ryan Taylor was limited to six points and four rebounds but was also selected to the All-Tournament Team based on his 16 points that carried Wittenberg to the Friday night win over Ohio Wesleyan.
Box Score Wooster 59, Wittenberg 56
On the women's side, the Wittenberg Tigers played the No. 1 seeded Ohio Wesleyan University Battling Bishops tough throughout their semifinal match-up on Friday night. But in the end, the Tigers couldn't pull off their second straight upset of the Bishops (Wittenberg had defeated OWU on the same Branch Rickey Arena court two weeks earlier) and saw their season come to an end in a 75-66 loss.
Wittenberg was led in the game by senior center Jamie Brafford, who led the team in scoring for the first time all season with 13 points. Interestinly, Brafford became the ninth player on the team to lead Wittenberg in scoring in a game - a testament to the team's tremendous balance but also to the difficulties Head Coach Pam Smith finding offensive consistency. Sophomore guard/forward Kate Rolf chipped in with 12 points and five rebounds, while sophomore guard Stephanie Campbell added 11 before fouling out late in the game.
Both teams shot well in the game, with the Tigers dropping in 48 percent, including a 6-of-9 performance by Brafford, and the Bishops were at 47 percent. The difference was that OWU hit 4-of-8 shots from three-point range and 23-of-29 from the free throw line, as compared to Wittenberg's 2-of-10 from beyond the arc and 12-of-16 from the charity stripe.
The Bishops went on to win the NCAC tournament championship in dramatic fashion, rallying from eight points down with just two minutes to go to overcome third-seeded Earlham on Saturday. The Tigers ended their season with an 18-8 overall record and 11-5 mark in the NCAC, which was good for a third-place tie with Earlham. It was the 12th straight year that Wittenberg finished among the top three in the conference regular season standings.
Box Score Ohio Wesleyan 75, Wittenberg 66