Springfield, Ohio — When the Wittenberg Tigers and Wooster Fighting Scots renew their intense men’s basketball rivalry at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, another large and spirited crowd is expected to fill Wittenberg’s Pam Evans Smith Arena. To accommodate the larger than normal audience, which will include members of three of the finest teams in Wittenberg history, special ticket policies have been established.
Tickets will go on sale starting at 2 p.m. in the HPER Center Legends Lobby during the women’s basketball game between Wittenberg and Wooster in Pam Evans Smith Arena. Ticket prices are $8 for adults and $5 for seniors over the age of 55 and children under the age of 18. Wittenberg students, faculty and staff are allowed entry free of charge with their university ID.
Students, faculty and staff will not need to secure tickets prior to the game as they have in recent years, but they must be prepared to display their identification card to gain entry into the game. Students will also enter the game through a different door than usual, as they will be routed to an entrance near the northeast corner of the facility. Normally an emergency exit, this door is located behind the pressbox atop the north side of the arena.
The rest of the Wooster and Wittenberg fans will enter the arena through Legends Lobby, but they will do so through different doors. Wooster fans will be encouraged to sit in sections 2 and 4, as they have in previous years, but all seating will be general admission for the game.
At halftime of the game, members from the 1979-80, 1984-85 and 1989-90 Wittenberg men’s basketball teams will be welcomed back to campus and celebrated during a brief ceremony.
In 1980, the Tigers posted a record of 29-3, won the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) championship and advanced all the way to the NCAA Division III semifinals before losing to Upsala by four points. Under the direction of Head Coach Larry Hunter, Wittenberg finished third in the nation that year after winning a consolation game over Longwood in overtime.
In 1985, Hunter led Wittenberg to a record of 27-4 and another OAC title. In the NCAA Division III Tournament, the Tigers defeated DePauw and Hope before losing a 73-71 heartbreaker to North Park in the third round.
In 1990, Wittenberg compiled a 29-2 record and captured the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) championship with a 15-1 record under the direction of Head Coach Dan Hipsher. The Tigers’ NCAA Division III Tournament run came to an end in the third round against Calvin after beating Muskingum and Averett.
The 2014-15 edition of the Wittenberg Tigers heads into Saturday’s game with records of 9-13 overall and 7-8 in the NCAC. After a narrow 54-53 win at DePauw, the Tigers find themselves in a three-way tie for fifth place in the league standings. Wooster comes into the game with records of 17-5 overall and 11-4 in the NCAC.
Written By: Ryan Maurer