WOOSTER, Ohio — It was another memorable chapter in one of the classic NCAA Division III rivalries, but the Wittenberg men's basketball team's seven-game North Coast Athletic Conference and eight-game overall winning streak was snapped Saturday by d3hoops.com No. 1-ranked Wooster by a final score of 65-58.
Despite falling to 12-5 overall and 7-1 in the NCAC on the season, the Tigers still hold a 51-47 edge in the all-time series with the Scots, which dates back to 1911.
The Tigers, NCAA Division III's all-time winningest men's basketball team with 1,620 victories, take over sole possession of second place in the conference behind the undefeated Scots, who are the second winningest team in Div. III history, with 1,539 all-time wins. The two schools remain the only programs to have won more than 1,500 games.
The long-time rivals meet again in three weeks when Wooster travels to the Pam Evans Smith Arena in Springfield, Ohio, for the return trip on Saturday, Feb. 12, with the game scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.
Both teams planned well for Saturday's showdown, evidenced by the Scots' effective defense against the Tigers' junior leading scorer Clayton Black (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) and Wittenberg shut-down defense on everyone but the four key Wooster scorers.
Fifty-eight of the Scots' 65 points were scored by just four players and the remaining seven points were split between just two as Wittenberg eliminated every other option. At the other end, Wooster managed to draw Black into foul trouble to limit his touches.
Wittenberg made eight three-point shots in the game, paced by sophomore guard Cameron Walton (Waterville, Ohio/Anthony Wayne) with 4-of-6, including 3-of-4 in the second half. Walton added 2-of-3 at the free throw line to lead the team with 14 points.
Junior post Alex Brandt (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy) turned in a key supporting performance with 11 points and seven rebounds on 4-of-7 shooting and 3-of-4 from the stripe.
Senior wing Seth Hill (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine) became a big factor late in the game, finishing with 10 points, including 2-of-5 from long range, and three rebounds in his second trip into double-digits this season.
Junior wing Michael Cooper (Springfield, Ohio/South) finished behind Brandt with five rebounds.
Overall, neither team shot well in the first half, both attempting 32 field goals, Wittenberg with 10 made and Wooster with 11. The ultimate difference came when Wooster found their shot in the second half, going 11-of-21 (52.4-percent) in the period.
The Tigers also had trouble getting to the free throw line. On the season, they average 13-of-20 at the stripe, but against Wooster were 8-of-13, compared to the opponents' 17-of-22.
A close first half finished with the Tigers in front 27-26. Out of the break, the teams traded baskets for several minutes to get to 35-32 in favor of the Tigers, but two Walton three-pointers and an Alex Brandt jump shot extended the lead to 10 points with 13:12 remaining.
Just 1:15 later, Walton dropped in another three-pointer to push the lead to 11, and despite Wooster answering with one of their own, senior wing Chris Sullivan (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) made a three to retake the 11-point advantage.
The boost was short lived, however, as Wooster rallied with the next eight points to get back within three at 49-46 with six minutes remaining.
Again the Tigers again answered with a three-point shot, this time out of the hands of Hill. In typical fashion for this rivalry, Nathan Balch returned fire with a made three at the other end to keep the Scot deficit at three points with 4:15 left in the game.
Wittenberg turned the ball over on a shot clock violation with 2:19 left to play, and on an inbounds play at the other end, Justin Hallowell connected on the game-tying three-pointer, and another classic finish was assured.
The Scots retook the lead for the first time since the 17:38 mark when Ian Franks converted an and-one opportunity, then returned and made another basket on a fast break to make it a five-point game in favor of the Scots.
Seth Hill added to a key performance by cleaning up his own miss with a layup with 32.2 seconds left to cut the deficit to three points, but that was the closest the Tigers would get, turning to fouls to stop the clock. Wooster hit all six free throw attempts in the final 26 seconds to seal the game.
John Strawn '07