Springfield, Ohio — Wittenberg University's men's and women's basketball teams have had an unexpected break from their regularly scheduled activities, thanks to a winter storm that coated campus with a thick layer of ice and snow that led administrators to close the university for three straight days. With most of the streets and sidewalks finally cleared, the Tiger teams now face key North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) games on back-to-back days in Pam Evans Smith Arena.
The women's/men's basketball doubleheader previously slated for Wednesday, Feb. 2, and re-scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 3, is now set for Friday, Feb. 4. The women's game will tip off at 5 p.m., and the men's game will start at 7:30 p.m.
On Saturday, Feb. 5, the Tiger teams were scheduled to play games against Allegheny at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively. Instead, Wittenberg's women will now tip at 4 p.m. and the men will square off against the Gators at 6 p.m.
Also Saturday, the National Girls and Women in Sport Day event scheduled for 10 a.m.-noon will take place as scheduled in the HPER Center Gymnasium. Participants in the morning festivities will receive a complimentary ticket for the women's basketball game. During the women's game, Wittenberg's annual Pink Zone festivities will take place, honoring cancer survivors and raising awareness about the disease.
Freshman point guard Jaclyn Willoughby
Finally, Saturday's men's game is the latest fundraiser for the Tiger Malaria Initiative. Information about the deadly impact of malaria and ongoing efforts organized by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to eradicate the disease will be available, and families can gain entry into the game for a $10 donation, which covers the cost of one mosquito net for an African family in need.
The Tiger women currently stand at 9-10 overall and 4-4 in the NCAC. Wittenberg previously defeated Kenyon on the road but lost to Allegheny, and just one game separates the Tigers from both teams in the current conference standings.
The Tiger men, who moved into the d3hoops.com Top 25 for the first time in the 2010-11 season earlier this week, currently stand at 14-5 overall and 9-1 in the NCAC. Wittenberg previously defeated both Kenyon and Allegheny on the road. The Tigers, ranked fifth in the first NCAA Division III Great Lakes Region poll released on Wednesday, are in second place in the conference standings with six games left in the regular season.
Written By: Ryan Maurer
Photos By: Erin Pence
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