The Wittenberg Tigers made a trip south last weekend and came away with NCAA Division III Tournament wins over Birmingham-Southern and Carroll (Wisc.) to reach the Round of 16 for the 16th time in school history. Now the Tigers will make trip north to Wooster.
In the familiar confines of Wooster's historic Timken Gymnasium, the Tigers are set to encounter North Central College in a Round of 16 game at 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 9. That game will be followed by the host Scots against Illinois Wesleyan.
Wittenberg, Wooster and Illinois Wesleyan rank 1, 2 and 3, respectively, in NCAA Division III history for all-time victories. Wittenberg and Illinois Wesleyan also rank 1 and 2 in terms of all-time NCAA Division III Tournament victories.
North Central, on the other hand, is playing in its sixth NCAA Division III Tournament. The Cardinals have a 4-6 record, including wins last weekend over Rose-Hulman and Washington University.
TOURNAMENT LINKS: Home Page • Wittenberg Audio • Wooster Video • Live Statistics
SERIES HISTORY: This is the third meeting between Wittenberg and North Central, but it is the first in more than two decades. The Tigers have won both previous meetings, although those games in the 1970-71 and 1988-89 seasons were both played in Springfield.
Wittenberg and Illinois Wesleyan have met five times, with the Tigers holding a narrow 3-2 advantage. Wittenberg won the first three meetings in the 1966-67, 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons, while the Titans picked up wins in 1996 and 1999.
Wittenberg and Wooster, of course, have one of the most intense and historic rivalries in all of NCAA Division III. The Tigers hold a slim 54-48 edge in the rivalry, including a pair of wins in the 2011-12 regular season. The first was on a buzzer-beater in December and the second was in overtime to clinch the NCAC regular season title in February.
Interestingly, Wittenberg and Wooster have never played an NCAA Division III Tournament game.
RANKINGS: Wittenberg ended the 2011-12 season ranked No. 22 by d3hoops.com. North Central is ranked No. 23, while Wooster checks in at No. 15 and Illinois Wesleyan was among "Others Receiving Votes."
NCAA DIVISION III TOURNAMENT HISTORY: Wittenberg is making its NCAA Division III-record 26th tournament appeance after breaking a five-year drought a year ago. The Tigers are making their 33rd national tournament appearances, including seven in the College Division between 1959 and 1974.
Including two wins to open the 2012 NCAA Division III Tournament, Wittenberg's all-time postseason record is 64-33, including a College Division championship in 1961 and an NCAA Division III championship in 1977. The Tigers' record in the NCAA Division III Tournament is 50-25, with that win total being the highest in NCAA Division III history.
Wittenberg also holds the record for NCAA Division III Tournament semifinal appearances with seven. The Tigers have been runner-up three times and placed third three other times. Wittenberg also placed second in the College Division Tournament in 1963.
In the Round of 16, Wittenberg's all-time record is 14-6, including a mark of 11-4 in NCAA Division III Tournament action. The Tigers' last Round of 16 appearance came in 2006, a 56-49 home win over Hope en route to a national runner-up finish.
Written By: Ryan Maurer