Springfield, Ohio — Wittenberg University will host its first-ever on-campus salute to its Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame inductees on Saturday, Feb. 7, during the Tiger men's basketball game against Oberlin College.
The on-campus salute begins with a pre-game reception in the HPER Center Gymnasium at 1 p.m. A presentation honoring current and past Wittenberg inductees into the Hall of Fame will take place at halftime of the game, which tips off at 3 p.m.
Eight individuals and two national championship teams representing Wittenberg have been inducted into the Hall of Fame, which was formed in 2006 to recognize the achievements of both male and female basketball players, coaches, officials and teams in high school, college and professional basketball. The latest Tiger inductee is Bert Price, class of 1961, who will take his place among the best in the state's history of the sport at a banquet on May 2, 2015, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
"We are extremely grateful to the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame for allowing us to honor our Tigers at this event, and at the same time to celebrate our great history in the sport of basketball," said Director of Athletics and Recreation Gary Williams. "One of our points of pride at Wittenberg is the storied tradition of athletics excellence, and this event showcases many of the individuals and teams that helped to establish this tradition.
"It is our hope that many of our loyal fans in the community and our great alumni will circle this date on their calendars and join us for this important event."
Price joins Brian Agler, class of 1980, Don Henderson, class of 1954, Frank Shannon, class of 1940, Eldon Miller, class of 1962, Al Thrasher, class of 1964, Pam Evans Smith, class of 1982, and Ray Mears, who coached the Tigers from 1956-62, in the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame. In addition, the 1961 Wittenberg men's basketball team, which captured the university's first national championship in any sport, and the 1977 national championship men's basketball team were both inducted in 2006 as part of the inaugural Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame & Museum induction class.
After transferring to Wittenberg from Kent State University, Price emerged late in his first season for the Tigers, scoring 18 points in the 1959 OAC Tournament championship game against Akron to secure the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament berth. He added OAC Player of the Year honors while leading the Tigers to the league title again in 1960, and then he made history in 1961, topping the Tigers in scoring and rebounding en route to his second straight first-team All-OAC award and first-team All-America honors and the 1961 NCAA College Division championship.
"Wittenberg University has such a wonderful tradition of excellence in athletics, and any opportunity to celebrate achievement that rises to the level of the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame is one that we embrace," said University President Laurie Joyner. "I hope that our great Wittenberg fans will join us in celebrating our university's rich men's basketball heritage during this on-campus salute."
Registration for the pre-game gathering is available online at: http://cs.wittenberg.edu/AlumniEventReg.aspx?id=7. A reserved seating section will be available for participants of the pre-game reception. Following the game, the celebration will continue in Founders Pub in the basement of the Benham-Pence Student Center.
For more information about the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame, log on to http://www.ohiohoopzone.com.
Written By: Ryan Maurer