Junior guard Kate Rolf (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll) and Head Coach Pam Smith headlined the 2002 All-North Coast Athletic Conference selections, making the first team for a second consecutive season and claiming a fourth NCAC Coach of the Year award respectively. Smith, who won the 300th game of her career during the recently completed 21-6 season, led the Tigers to their 10th 20-win season since taking over at her alma mater in 1986. The Tigers won their eighth NCAC regular season title in 2001-02. Rolf was the team's leading scorer and rebounder for a second straight year. She was joined in garnering postseason recognition by junior guard Stephanie Campbell (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern), who was second on the team in scoring and first in steals, and junior forward Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw), third on the team in scoring and rebounding. Campbell made the second team for a second straight year, while Keller, the NCAC Volleyball Player of the Year in 2001, claimed basketball honors for the first time her career.

Smith

Rolf

Next: Season Complete

Stephanie Campbell

While the week didn't end the way Head Coach Pam Smith and her team envisioned, it was still an exciting and wild ride for the Tigers. Smith got her 300th career win on Tuesday in a quarterfinal victory over Wooster and the Tigers, the regular season NCAC champions with a 14-2 record, advanced all the way to the tournament title game on Saturday before falling in heart-breaking overtime fashion to defending champion Ohio Wesleyan. The week began with a narrow escape in the quarterfinals as top-seeded Wittenberg rallied from seven points down in the second half against eighth-seeded College of Wooster to win 76-69 and advance to the semifinals.  The entire game was a surprising struggle for the Tigers, who walloped Wooster 111-58 less than two weeks earlier. Junior guard Stephanie Campbell (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) poured in a game-high 21 points, including 15 important tallies in the first half. Joining Campbell in double figures were junior forward Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) with 14 points, junior guard Kate Rolf (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll) with 12 points and junior forward

Since taking over a struggling Wittenberg program prior to the 1986-87 season, Smith has guided the Tigers to ten 20-win seasons, six appearances in the NCAA tournament and eight NCAC regular season championships. The team enjoyed a breakout 1989-90 season by going 26-3 and winning the NCAC in its first season as a league member, and since that time the Tigers have posted 13 straight winning seasons. Wittenberg has never finished lower than third in an NCAC regular season.

A 1999 Wittenberg Athletics Hall of Honor inductee, Smith was recognized after the game with a proclamation from the Mayor of Cincinnati, her hometown, and on Friday was presented with a similar proclamation by Springfield Mayor Warren Copeland. The 1978 Greenhills High School graduate was a record-setting forward at Wittenberg during her playing days, a three-time team Most Valuable Player and an Academic All-America selection. She still holds the record for scoring average in a season at Wittenberg.

In Thursday's semifinal game against Allegheny, the smaller Tigers cobbled things together nicely for a 75-58 victory. Wittenberg shot just 31 percent from the field and 68 percent from the free throw line for the game, but the Tigers limited Allegheny to 28 percent shooting from the field in the first half, forced 23 turnovers in the game and outrebounded the Gators 49-41. In the process, Wittenberg slowly wore down Allegheny, winning for the second time in three meetings this year.
 

A 16-3 Wittenberg run midway through the first half expanded a 14-13 lead into a 30-16 cushion and started the Tigers on their way. Allegheny closed to within three points in the second half, but Wittenberg had an answer every time. More often than not, Rolf provided the answers for the Tigers as she dropped in 16 points, including three three-pointers, despite foul trouble. Joining Rolf in double figures were freshman guard Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) with 14 and Keller with 10.

2002 Women's Basketball Team

Then came Saturday's championship game and perhaps the cruelest of all destinies. In a tale of two halves and then overtime, defending champion and No. 2 seed Ohio Wesleyan rallied from an 18-point deficit to defeat Wittenberg 81-75 in overtime to capture the NCAC's automatic NCAA Division III tournament berth.
 

In the first half, Wittenberg raced out to a double-digit lead and by halftime the Tigers had stretched their advantage to 45-29. The Tigers were dominating on the glass, outrebounding the taller, more experienced Bishops 25-18, including 11 offensive boards. But then came a furious second half rally by OWU, which took the lead for the first time at the 4:02 mark of the second half.

With the momentum on the other side, the Tigers finally fought back but still trailed by three points with six seconds left in the game. That's when Campbell drove the length of the court and buried a game-tying three-pointer just before the buzzer to send the game into overtime.

In the extra session, Ohio Wesleyan continued to pound the ball inside as it had done throughout the second half and took control. Wittenberg took an early three-point lead on a long jumper by Schmid, but OWU's post play was ultimately too much. Wittenberg was paced by Kate Rolf with 21 points, Campbell with 13 and Keller with 11.

Next: Season Complete

Gaydos

Swary

The Tigers used a 16-1 second-half run to bury the visiting Denison Big Red 65-43 on Saturday to claim their first outright conference crownsince 1998. The win improved Wittenberg to 19-5 overall and 14-2 in the NCAC, the team's best conference record since 1999, when the Tigers shared the regular season title with Ohio Wesleyan with matching 14-2 marks.  Winners of eight regular season NCAC championships in 13 years as members of the conference, Wittenberg now enters the NCAC tournament as the No.1 seed and will likely host the conference tournament semifinals and finals. Wittenberg hosts No. 8 seed Wooster on Tuesday

Wittenberg slowly pulled away during the first half and then maintained a double-digit lead through most of the second half. All five starters finished in double figures for the Tigers, led by senior guard Meghan Gaydos (Concord, Ohio/Mentor Lake Catholic) and her career-high 14 points. Gaydos was efficient with a 4-for-6 performance from the field, including 2-for-3 from three-point range and 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Also in double figures were senior forward Jill Swary (Columbus, Ohio/Grandview) with 12 points, junior guards Kate Rolf (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll) and Stephanie Campbell (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) with 11 points apiece, and junior forward Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) with 10. 
 

Then on Saturday, escaped a close game against Denison with the aforementioned 16-1 run midway through the second half to capture the NCAC regular season championship outright. The Tigers, who improved to 19-5 overall and 14-2 in the NCAC with the win, put away Denison by a final of 65-43.  The Tigers pulled out to a 34-20 lead by halftime by holding the Big Red to just 22 percent shooting from the field. For the game, Denison was limited to just 24.6 percent shooting, the primary difference in a game that was otherwise fairly well played. Wittenberg topped its visitors on the boards by five, but the difference was that Wittenberg shot 39 percent from the floor and 73.7 percent from the free throw line.  The game was still a close one after Denison opened the second half with an 8-0 run and pulled to within five points at 40-35. But the Tigers responded with five straight points from Campbell en route to a 16-1 run that broke the game open. Campbell, who shared scoring honors with Rolf, finished the game with 11 points to lead the Tigers. Both also had five rebounds. Also turning in a strong offensive game was junior forward/center Rebecca Meers (Moline, Ill./Moline), who dropped in nine points on 3-of-6 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 from the line.  Three seniors were honored before the game - Gaydos, Swary and guardJen Korsberg (Dayton, Wash./Dayton).

Rolf Keller

At the start of last week, the Wittenberg women's basketball team was coming off a disappointing road loss at Allegheny that dropped the team into a tie for the NCAC lead. What a difference a week makes. Strong performances at Earlham on Wednesday and back home against Wooster on Saturday, coupled with a loss by Denison at Allegheny over the weekend, propelled Wittenberg back into the driver's seat of the NCAC. The Tigers are alone in first place with just two games remaining on the regular season schedule - a road game on Wednesday at Oberlin and a Senior Day contest opposite second-place Denison on Saturday.

Keller

Campbell

Junior forward Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) led the team on offense with 14 points in just 14 minutes of action. Once again,she was sharp in her shooting, making seven of her 11 shots from the floor. Junior guards Kate Rolf (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll) and Stephanie Campbell (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) chipped in with 13 and 12 points respectively, while senior forward Jill Swary (Columbus, Ohio/Grandview)and sophomore forward Haley Warden (Loveland, Ohio/Indian Hill)were strong up front with 10 points apiece.

Then on Saturday, Wittenberg went down 7-0 before recovering in fine fashion. By the time the stompede had ended and the dust had cleared, Wittenberg had rallied for a record-setting 111-58 win over visiting Wooster.

Wittenberg slowly pulled away from a 15-15 tie midway through the firsthalf, putting together a 28-9 run over the final seven minutes to takea 55-34 advantage into the locker room. The second half was much more lopsided as the Tigers broke out to a huge lead and poured it on late. The final point total was a school record, breaking the 109 figure that the Tigers had posted against Earlham on Nov. 17, 2001 at the Kalamazoo Tip-Off Tournament.

Wittenberg was led by a huge game off the bench by junior forward Meghan Bruggeman (Middletown, Ohio/Fenwick), who poured in a career-high 20points in just 17 minutes. Joining Bruggeman in double figures were Rolf with 13 points, Keller with 11 points, and freshman guard Emilie Schmid(Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) with 10 points. Wittenberg forced 44 Wooster turnovers and grabbed 25 steals, a season-best, including six by Campbell. In addition, the Tigers knocked down a school-record 34 free throws, breaking a record they had set earlier in the season against Allegheny.

As the Tigers continue their march toward the 2001-02 NCAC championship,which would be their eighth since joining the conference in 1989, Head Coach Pam Smith continues to move closer toward a personal milestone. With 297 career wins, Smith figures to reach the 300-win plateau yet this year as the Tigers have two regular season games remaining and with one more win will clinch one of the top seeds in the upcoming conference tournament, guaranteeing them home court advantage. Wittenberg is a perfect 11-0 at home this season.

Next:   2/13 @ Oberlin, 6 p.m.
  2/16 vs. Denison, 2 p.m.

Seniors- Gaydos, Korsberg, Swary

A dose of reality. That was what the Wittenberg Tiger women's basketball team received last week in winning twice before getting upset at Allegheny on Saturday to break a season-best six-game win streak. The good news is that the Tigers remain firmly in control of their own destiny as the conference race tightened with Wittenberg's loss and Denison's eighth, ninth and 10th straight wins, which pulled the Big Red into a first-place deadlock by week's end. The Tigers and Big Red are both 10-2, one-half game ahead of three-time defending NCAC titlist Ohio Wesleyan, with four games left apiece, including a Feb. 16 date in Springfield that could be a head-to-head match-up for all the regular season marbles.

Last week, Wittenberg started things off a defensive struggle - and a crucial 57-41 home win over perennial NCAC contender Kenyon on Wednesday. Wittenberg shot just 23 percent in the first half and 34.5 percent for the game, just one player wound up in double figures in scoring, and the team's leading rebounder was the team, which had eight. No matter, the Tigers turned up the defensive pressure to force 30 Kenyon turnovers and force 36.7 percent shooting. In addition, Wittenberg pulled down nine more rebounds than the Ladies, a key stat in a game that was close until midway through the second half.

Leading the charge statistically for the Tigers was junior guard Stephanie Campbell (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern), who had a game-high 13 points. Senior forward Jill Swary (Columbus, Ohio/Grandview) was the next highest scorer with eight points in just 10 minutes off the bench. The team's leading rebounder was sophomore forward Haley Warden (Loveland, Ohio/Indian Hill), who pulled down seven boards in 13 minutes off the bench.

On Friday, the Tigers made it six wins in a row on Friday evening with a 70-28 victory over the Hiram Terriers. The Terriers' 28 points were the lowest point total for a Wittenberg opponent since Allegheny scored 28 points on Feb. 6, 1999. Six Tiger opponents since 1985 have scored less than 28 points in a game.

The Tigers were dominant from the outset, scoring the first 13 points of the game en route to a 43-9 lead by halftime. By the time the dust cleared, all 16 Wittenberg players in uniform had played at least 10 minutes in the game, 13 of them had scored at least two points and 15 of them had pulled down at least one rebound. The Tigers forced 32 Hiram turnovers, outrebounded their hosts 53-31 and limited Hiram, now 3-15 overall and 0-11 in the NCAC, to 26.7 percent shooting from the field.

With the statistical wealth spread so evenly through the lineup, Wittenberg's top scorer was freshman guard Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) with nine points, while Swary and junior guard Kate Rolf (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll) each chipped in with eight. Sophomore forward Amanda Lewis (Mechanicsburg, Ohio/Mechanicsburg) showed the way with eight rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench.

One of the longest, most difficult road trips of the season ended badly for the Tigers on Saturday as they dropped a 78-69 decision at Allegheny on Saturday. The two teams battled through a tight first half, one that included eight ties. After Wittenberg took a 41-40 lead early in the second half, the Gators, who were beaten in Springfield 94-41 on Jan. 5, went on a decisive 22-11 run over the next 10 minutes. Wittenberg rallied on several occasions but never pulled closer than seven the rest of the way.

Rolf was the only Tiger player to score in double figures, as the team shot just 33 percent from the field and was outrebounded 55-40 by the Gators. Sophomore forward Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) topped the Tigers in rebounds with eight in 18 minutes off the bench.

The Tigers have no time to rest as they head to Earlham on Wednesday for a battle with the Quakers, who Wittenberg already has beaten twice this year. On Saturday, it's back home for a confrontation with Wooster.

Next: 2/6 @ Earlham, 7:30 p.m.
          2/9 vs. Wooster, 2 p.m.

Meers Campbell

The Wittenberg women's basketball team took the court just one time last week, but they made the most of that lone opportunity, defeating the NCAC defending champion Ohio Wesleyan University Battling Bishops 66-60 on Saturday to move back into sole possession of first place in the NCAC. Wittenberg took a lead just less than three minutes into the game and expanded it to as much as 12 points, then held on to defeat 2001 NCAA Division III Final Four participant Ohio Wesleyan, 66-60. While the Tigers led the game for 37 of its 40 minutes, it was by no means easy. Wittenberg took a 33-25 lead into the locker room at halftime and moved it out to 12 points on a lay-up by junior center Rebecca Meers (Moline, Ill./Moline) with 6:03 remaining in the game. From that point, the Battling Bishops, who defeated the Tigers two weeks earlier in Delaware 74-72, put on a furious charge that came up just short. As usual, it was a trio of juniors leading the way for Wittenberg. Forward Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw), the NCAC Player of the Week last week, had her eighth straight game in double figures with 12points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field and 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Guard Stephanie Campbell (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern)had a terrific all-around game and finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists. And guard Kate Rolf (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll) also contributed a fine all-around effort as she hit for 17 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Wittenberg outrebounded its visitors 44-32 and shot 13-of-16 from the free throw line, key stats in the biggest game of the season.

The Tigers are back in action on Tuesday against Kenyon, a game that will be broadcast on WBLY AM 1600 in Springfield (and can be heard on WBLYAM 1600 in Springfield or via the Internet at http://www5.wittenberg.edu/news/athletics/broadcast.shtml)and telecast on tape delay by Time Warner Cable in Dayton. It is the first of three games in a busy week for the Tigers, who make a trip to Hiram and Allegheny over the weekend for games Friday and Saturday.

Next:   1/29 vs. Kenyon, 7:30 p.m.
             2/1 @ Hiram, 6:30 p.m.
             2/2 @ Allegheny, 2 p.m.

Keller

Bruggeman

To win a championship, the saying goes that a team must hold serve at home and then steal a few on the road. Last week, the Tigers grabbed a pair of important road wins to keep pace in the NCAC regular season race. The Tigers will play host to first-place Ohio Wesleyan on Saturday in a crucial showdown at the HPER Center.

For the game, Wittenberg got 16 points each from Keller and Rolf. Keller added a career-high 13 rebounds for her second double-double in three games. Also finishing in double figures scoring for the Tigers were freshman guard Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) with 11 points and junior forward Meghan Bruggeman (Middletown, Ohio/Bishop Fenwick) with 10 points, both off the bench.

Then on Saturday, the Tigers headed into a well-deserved week off with a third consecutive NCAC win, this time claiming a 78-52 decision over host Wooster. The Tigers outscored the Lady Scots 29-11 in the final 11 minutes of the game after Wooster had narrowed a 20-point deficit to eight. Wittenberg led every minute of the game after scoring a layup just seven seconds into the first half and bursting out to a 10-2 lead.

Wittenberg got terrific offensive performances from a quartet of juniors. Keller had her fourth straight game in double figures with 14 points, junior guard Stephanie Campbell (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) had an outstanding all-around game with 14 points, nine rebounds, three assists and five steals, Rolf hit for 13 points, and Bruggeman had a hot hand off the bench, shooting 5-for-5 and finishing with 11 points.

For her consistent play last week, Tiffany Keller was named the NCAC Player of the Week. The NCAC volleyball Player of the Year, Keller is no stranger to conference recognition. She led the Tigers with 30 points and 17 rebounds for the week.

A story to watch is Head Coach Pam Smith's pursuit of 300 career wins. Far and away the Tigers' winningest coach of all-time, Smith won No. 292 against Wooster. Wittenberg has eight more regular season games and at least one NCAC tournament game remaining.
Next:
1/26 vs. Ohio Wesleyan, 2 p.m.

Kate Rolf

Meghan Bruggeman

The Wittenberg University women's basketball team is well on its way to a 13th consecutive winning season. But winning games is just a means to an end for a Tiger team that is in the thick of the NCAC race once again. Last week, the Tigers lost a heartbreaker at Ohio Wesleyan in a battle for first place but rebounded strongly on Saturday to wallop Oberlin. Wittenberg is 5-1 in the NCAC, just one-half game behind defending conference titlist and NCAA Division III Final Four participant OWU.

Against the Bishops, the Tigers got 15 points from All-NCAC junior guardKate Rolf (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll), as well as a double-double from junior forward Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) off the bench (10 points and 10 rebounds) but still fell 74-72. In addition, junior forward Meghan Bruggeman (Middletown, Ohio/Fenwick) dropped in 10 points and pulled down four rebounds in just nine minutes of action off the bench.

Wittenberg then came back on Saturday to defeat visiting Oberlin 82-50. The Tigers ended the first half on a 19-5 run after falling behind 25-24 with 7:06 remaining. A 22-2 run to start the second half buried the Yeowomen, who fell to 5-7 overall and 1-5 in the NCAC with the loss. Wittenberg held Oberlin to 20 percent shooting in the second half and outrebounded the Yeowomen 55-31.

Wittenberg was paced offensively by Tiffany Keller, who hit 7-of-9 field goals en route to a game-high 16 points. Junior center Rebecca Meers(Moline, Ill./Moline) came off the bench to drop in 12 points and pull down five rebounds, while sophomore forward Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood)chipped in with 11 points and five rebounds. In addition, sophomore forward Amanda Lewis (Mechanicsburg, Ohio/Mechanicsburg) came off the bench to score six points and pull down a career-high nine rebounds.

A story to continue to watch is Head Coach Pam Smith's pursuit of 300 career wins. Far and away the Tigers' winningest coach of all-time, Smith won No. 290 against Oberlin. Wittenberg has 10 more regular season games remaining and at least one NCAC tournament game likely to be added to the schedule.

Next:   1/16 @ Kenyon, 6 p.m.
           1/19 @ Wooster, 2 p.m.

Campbell

The Tiger women's basketball team made it a clean sweep on the hardwood for the week, slowly pulling away from NCAC host Denison University on Saturday for an impressive 85-63 win after defeating Earlham College 71-55 on Tuesday at home in the HPER Center.  Against Earlham, a team Wittenberg had already defeated this seasonin the consolation game of the Kalamazoo Tip-Off Tournament on Nov. 17,junior center Rebecca Meers (Moline, Ill./Moline) came off the benchto lead the Tigers with 15 points and nine rebounds. She was backed by 10 points and seven boards from junior guard Stephanie Campbell (SouthCharleston, Ohio/Southeastern). They led a balanced offensive attack in which 12 different players made their way into the scoring column and 11 of them pulled down at least one rebound as well.

Against Denison, Wittenberg got a big game off the bench from junior forward Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw), who poured in 19 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field and 9-of-10 marksmanship from the free throw line. Keller, who played despite a sprained ankle suffered against Earlham, led three players in double figures, as sophomore forward Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) finished with 15 points and seven rebounds and junior guard Kate Rolf (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll) chipped in with 13 points.

The Tigers, whose only losses this year are to then No. 4 ranked Wisconsin-Oshkosh and then No. 6 ranked Capital (both teams remain in the national rankings but have since been defeated once each), return to action on Dec. 12 at home against Thomas More and then hit the road for a contest at Defiance on Dec. 15.

Next:
12/12 vs. Thomas More, 7 p.m.
12/15 @ Defiance, 2 p.m.
 

Keller

The Tigers certainly don't duck quality non-conference competition, and last week they hung tough against one of the best in the nation, the sixth-ranked Capital Crusaders. By the end of Wednesday's game, however, Wittenberg finally succombed to the Ohio Athletic Conference favorite 63-57. Coming off a win the previous week over 10th-ranked Baldwin-Wallace, the Tigers were undone by poor shooting, particularly in the first half (4-of-28). Still, solid defense and scrappy play kept the teams deadlocked at halftime and set the stage for a hard-fought second half. Capital slowly pulled away, hitting 20-of-26 free throws in the second half.

Junior guard/forward Kate Rolf (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll) led all players with 18 points and seven rebounds, while junior guard Stephanie Campbell (Springfield, Ohio/Southeastern) added 17 points. Junior forward Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) chipped in with nine points off the bench, while sophomore forward Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) played 34 strong minutes off the bench, contributing six points and a game-high nine rebounds.

Next: 12/4 vs. Earlham, 7:30 p.m.
 

Kate Rolf

The Tigers, coming off a 1-1 record at the Kalamazoo College Tip-Off Tournament to open the season Nov. 16-17, won a surprisingly easy home opener last Tuesday, defeating previously No. 10 ranked Baldwin-Wallace 71-53. Wittenberg scored the first seven points of the game and rolled from that point, never allowing the Yellow Jackets closer than three points the rest of the way. The Tigers stretched the lead to 42-30 by halftime and played well enough in the second half to keep BWC at arm's length throughout. Junior All-North Coast Athletic Conference guard Kate Rolf (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll) led both teams with a season-high 24 points, including a 10-of-11 performance from the free throw line. Senior point guard Meghan Gaydos (Concord, Ohio/Mentor Lake Catholic) scored a career-high 12 points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field and 4-of-4 from the free throw line, and sophomore forward Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) scored 12 points and grabbed a game-high seven rebounds off the bench.

This week, the Tigers are in action just once, but once again it will they will be taking the court opposite a nationally ranked Ohio Athletic Conference team, the Capital Crusaders. Tip at Capital's new athletic facility is slated for 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Next: 11/28 @ Capital, 7:30 p.m.

Rolf Campbell

The Tigers opened what they hope will be an historic season last weekend at the Kalamazoo Tip-Off Tournament. After dropping a 65-49 decision in the opener against Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Association power UW-Oshkosh on Friday, the Tigers rallied to defeat NCAC rival Earlham 109-68 in the consolation game on Saturday. The Tigers, who have strung together 12 consecutive winning seasons under the steady direction of head coach Pam Smith, were ambushed in the opener, falling behind early in the second half and struggled offesnively, shooting just 23.5 percent for the game. Junior Kate Rolf (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll) , the team leader in scoring and rebounding a year ago, led three double-figure scorers with 15 points. The next day, the Tigers returned to the scene of the previous day's crime and rebounded with a strong offensive and defensive game, shutting down Earlham for a lop-sided victory. The Tigers were a sizzling 53.6 percent shooting from the field after racing out to a commanding 59-30 halftime lead. They were led by 14 points and eight rebounds from sophomore forward Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood). In her first start, Woessner led both teams in both categories and paced five Tigers players in double figures. Junior guard Stephanie Campbell (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeaster ) , who had 22 points in the two games, was named to the All-Tournament team.

Next: 11/20 vs. Baldwin-Wallace

Rolf Campbell

The Wittenberg Tigers have strung together 12 consecutive winning seasons under the steady direction of head coach Pam Smith. Coming off an 18-8 record in 2000-01, the Tigers open the new season this weekend at a tip-off tournament at Kalamazoo College. The Tigers return 10 letterwinners and 13 players who saw action in 2000-01. Five of the eight players who started at least one game last year are back in the fold, including four of the five starters in the Tigers' NCAC tournament defeat at Ohio Wesleyan, and the team's top four scorers and top five rebounders will suit up again in 2001-02.  Leading the charge will be the junior guard duo of Stephanie Campbell (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) and Kate Rolf (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll), a tandem that led the Tigers in every statistical category in 2000-01. Rolf had a breakout season a year ago, leading the team in scoring and rebounding and earning first-team All-NCAC honors. Campbell, a transfer from Taylor University, fit in well and led the Tigers in minutes, three-point shooting percentage, steals and floor burns due to her hustle.  Also returning to the starting lineup are senior point guard Meghan Gaydos (Concord, Ohio/Lake Catholic) and junior forward Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw), who came on strong after helping the Wittenberg volleyball team to the NCAA Division III playoffs. Senior forward Jill Swary (Columbus, Ohio/Grandview) also started 15 games and figures to be a key frontcourt player, along with sophomore Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) and junior Rebecca Meers (Moline, Ill./Moline), who both contributed a great deal off the bench.

Campbell

Gaydos

The Wittenberg Tigers have strung together 12 consecutive winning seasons under the steady direction of Pam Smith. Coming off an 18-8 record in 2000-01, the Tigers appear primed in 2001-02 for another run at the NCAC championship.  The Tigers return 10 letterwinners and 13 players who saw action in 2000-01. Five of the eight players who started at least one game last year are back in the fold, including four of the five starters in the Tigers' NCAC tournament defeat at Ohio Wesleyan, and the team's top four scorers and top five rebounders will suit up again in 2001-02.

Leading the charge will be the junior guard duo of Stephanie Campbell (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) and Kate Rolf (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll), a tandem that led the Tigers in every statistical category in 2000-01. Rolf had a breakout season a year ago, leading the team in scoring and rebounding and earning first-team All-NCAC honors. Campbell, a transfer from Taylor University, fit in well and led the Tigers in minutes, three-point shooting percentage, steals and floor burns due to her hustle.

Also returning to the starting lineup are senior point guard Meghan Gaydos (Concord, Ohio/Lake Catholic) and junior forward Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw), who came on strong after helping the Wittenberg volleyball team to the NCAA Division III playoffs. Senior forward Jill Swary (Columbus, Ohio/Grandview) also started 15 games and figures to be a key frontcourt player, along with sophomore Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) and junior Rebecca Meers (Moline, Ill./Moline), who both contributed a great deal off the bench.

Next: 11/16-17
@ Kalamazoo Tournament