Tigers hold their runner-up trophy aloft.
Photo by James Lang
SALEM, Va. — There was just one lead change in the entire NCAA Division III Tournament championship game. Unfortunately for the Wittenberg Tigers, it occurred with two seconds left when Virginia Wesleyan's Ton Ton Balenga drained a three-pointer from the top of the key to give the Marlins a shocking 59-56 victory.
Wittenberg ended its 2005-06 season with a 30-4 overall record, which tied the school record for wins in a season. The Tigers, champions of the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament, were participating in their NCAA Division III-record seventh Final Four, but just their first national championship game since 1983. Like that game, the conclusion was heartbreaking.
Wittenberg dominated the opening 20 minutes of the game, slowly extending the lead out to 29-19 by halftime. Senior post Daniel Russ picked up right where he left off the night before, when he had 26 points and seven rebounds in a semifinals victory over Amherst College, going for 10 points and seven rebounds. Virginia Wesleyan shot just 26 percent from the field and was outrebounded 17-11.
Wittenberg's Daniel Russ
Photo by James Lang
But the second half was a completely different story. Wittenberg's rebounding advantage was negated, and Virginia Wesleyan shot 57 percent, including two clutch three-pointers - one with 3:43 remaining by Tyler Fantin and the last one by Balenga, who also had a game-winning shot in the Round of 16 against Lincoln.
A key for the Tigers was free throws. The Tigers hit eight of their first nine from the charity stripe, but over the last eight minutes of the game, Wittenberg made just 3-of-7. Among those four misses were three front ends of one-and-one situations that could have given the Tigers a cushion in the late-going.
Another key was a trapping pressure defense that Virginia Wesleyan employed to great effect in the closing minutes. It led to two of Wittenberg's 16 turnovers for the game, compared to 11 for the Marlins.
Wittenberg led until Balenga scored on a short jumper with 1:57 remaining to tie it at 52. Tigers senior post Dane Borchers responded with two free throws at the 1:30 mark, but Virginia Wesleyan's Brandon Adair matched that with a lay-up just 10 seconds later. Borchers gave Wittenberg its last lead at 58 seconds on a lay-up, but Adair picked up a foul and hit two free throws with 49 seconds left. After Russ was called for a travelling violation with 30 seconds left, the stage was set for Balenga's heroics.
Borchers, who finished with 15 points and seven rebounds for the Tigers, and Russ, who capped his career with a 14-point, nine-rebound performance, both made the all-tournament team. Russ finished his career as the No. 9 all-time scorer in Wittenberg history, while Borchers, who has decided to accept a medical red-shirt and play a final season in 2006-07, surpassed the 1,000-point mark for his career in the game.
Balenga led all scorers with 22 points and Adair added 21. D'Juan Tucker led the Marlins in rebounds with five.
Wittenberg head coach Bill Brown ends the season tied with Larry Hunter for most coaching wins in Tiger men's basketball history with 305, while the 2006 senior class ended things with an outstanding 99-17 four-year record.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The entire Wittenberg community is invited to welcome the Tigers home to Springfield on Sunday. A welcome home event is tentatively scheduled for 5 p.m. Sunday, although that time may change depending upon the team's travel schedule. Check the Wittenberg Web site for details on Sunday.