SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg Tigers rallied from a 10-point deficit in the late-going, only to see Allegheny's Charlie Jaicks hit a game-winning shot with four seconds left to secure a 65-63 upset. The loss snapped an amazing Wittenberg streak of 22 straight conference tournament quarterfinal victories, dating back to 1986.
Wittenberg, which closed the season with four losses in its last five games, finished the season with a 16-10 overall record, including a mark of 12-4 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) regular season, good for a second-place tie. Sixth-seeded Allegheny, which became the first NCAC team to ever beat Wittenberg in an NCAC Tournament quarterfinal game, improved to 12-14 overall.
Another lackluster first half was largely to blame for the Tigers' loss. Allegheny led by as many as 12 points and headed into the locker room at halftime with a commanding 34-25 lead. With Head Coach Bill Brown trying a wide range of combinations, the Tigers showed some life midway through the final 20 minutes to draw within one point on a free throw from junior Kevin Murray (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) with 13:12 remaining. However, the Gators responded well and held a 59-49 lead with 5:20 to go.
The Tigers then went on a 14-4 run, capped by a three-pointer from junior guard Gregg Hill (Farmington Hills, Mich./Redford Union) with 10 seconds left. The Gators, who lost twice to Wittenberg in the regular season by a combined 27 points, came back strong, however, as Jaicks drove the length of the floor and scored over two Tigers from about five feet out. Hill slipped as he attempted a three-pointer at the buzzer, ending the game.
The Tigers were paced by 14 points each from Hill and senior wing Brandan Barabino (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's Jesuit), who added team-highs of nine rebounds and five assists. Also of note was the play of junior post Tim Beck (West Alexandria, Ohio/National Trail), who contributed eight points and three rebounds in just seven minutes off the bench, and senior post Sam Gregory (Gainesville, Fla./Oak Hall), who added eight points, two rebounds and two steals in 19 minutes off the bench.
Allegheny put four players in double figures, starting with Craig Devinney with 15 points. The Gators advanced to play either No. 2 seed Ohio Wesleyan or No. 7 seed Hiram. Those two will play at Ohio Wesleyan Wednesday after a postponement of Tuesday's scheduled game.