Hosted by Wittenberg University

2000 Schedule

Thursday, December 28, 2000 First Round 6 p.m. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (10-1) def. Maryville College (8-3) 68-35

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Blugolds jumped all over Maryville College Lady Scots from the outset in the opener of the 2000 Kiwanis-Wittenberg Holiday Classic, scoring 19 of the game's first 21 points en route to an easy 68-35 victory. The Blugolds, ranked No. 4 nationally in the latest D3Hoops.com poll, improved to 10-1 on the season, while the Lady Scots dropped to 8-3 with the loss.

The Blugolds played tight defense on the Lady Scots throughout, forcing their foes into 18.5 percent shooting in the first half and 20 percent for the game. No Maryville player managed more than seven points in the game, and the team also committed 26 turnovers.

UW-Eau Claire showed off a great deal of offensive balance as all 20 players in uniform saw at least two minutes of action in the game and three of them reached double-figures in scoring. Guard Megan Whatley led all scorers with 12 points, while forward LaToya Banks and forward Sarah Hughes added 10 each.

Box Score UW-Eau Claire 68, Maryville 35

8 p.m. Wittenberg University (8-1) def. Albion College (1-8) 63-44

The Wittenberg University Tigers didn't put together one of their finest performances, but they still advanced to the championship game of the annual Holiday Classic with a 63-44 victory over the Albion College Britons. Wittenberg, which led for all but about one minute early in the game, improved to 8-1 on the season with the win while Albion, which played without leading scorer Becky Campbell, dropped to 1-8.

Offensively, most of the Tigers never got untracked. Except, that is, for sophomore guard Kate Rolf, who posted 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field. Rolf, who leads the team in scoring with more than 12 points per game, nailed 3-of-4 from behind the three-point arc and also added 5 steals. Joining her in double figures was sophomore guard Stephanie Campbell, who had 10 points to go along with four rebounds and four steals.

Albion was paced by Amanda Yeager's 12 points, but the Britons were held to just 35 percent shooting from the field, including a 7-of-25 night from beyond the three-point line. Yeager finished with a double-double, tacking on 11 rebounds.

Wittenberg advanced to the championship game for the 14th time in the 15-year history of the Kiwanis-Wittenberg Women's Basketball Holiday Classic. The Tigers will square off against UW-Eau Claire in the finale in an attempt to win an eighth tourney title.

Box Score Wittenberg 63, Albion 44

Friday, December 29, 2000 Consolation Game 1 p.m. Maryville College (9-3) def. Albion College (1-9) 69-50

The Maryville College Lady Scots rebounded from a difficult first round loss to Wisconsin-Eau Claire to claim a 69-50 decision against the Albion College Britons in the consolation game of the 2000 Kiwanis-Wittenberg Women's Basketball Holiday Classic. Maryville departs Springfield, Ohio with a 9-3 overall record after the victory, while Albion slips to 1-9.

The Lady Scots got a 19-point effort from freshman forward Hayley Smith, while three other Maryville players contributed double-figure point totals. The team shot 39.6 percent from the field a day after shooting just 20 percent in the loss to the Blugolds. Smith was later named to the all-tournament team.

Albion fell behind early but put together a spirited rally to take a brief lead late in the first half at 31-30. After the two teams headed into the lockerroom tied at 31, it was all Lady Scots in the second half. The Britons were paced by 11 points and 10 rebounds by guard Erin Hearn.

Box Score Maryville 69, Albion 50

Championship Game 3 p.m. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (11-1) def. Wittenberg University (8-2) 80-68

Living up to their lofty No. 4 national ranking in the most recent D3Hoops.com poll, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Blugolds claimed first place in the Kiwanis-Wittenberg Holiday Classic by defeating the host Wittenberg University Tigers, 80-68. The win advanced the Blugolds to 11-1 overall on the season, while Wittenberg, ranked No. 22 nationally, fell to 8-2.

UW-Eau Claire jumped out to a big lead early and never relinquished it despite a game effort from the young Tigers. Senior center Vanessa Schley made sure of that with a big 14-point second half en route to a 19-point, four-steal game. She was joined in double figures in the game by guard/forward LaToya Banks, who finished with 16 points and five assists, guard Meagan Whatley, who had 16 points, and center Sarah Hughes, who posted a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds to go along with five assists. Banks was named tournament MVP, while Schley and Hughes each joined her on the all-tournament team.

For Wittenberg, sophomore forward Tiffany Keller was the main offensive threat, hitting 8-of-10 from the field and 5-of-6 from the free throw line before fouling out with 12 minutes left in the game. Keller's 21 points led all scorers in the game, while her seven rebounds were a team-high. Joining her in double-figures was sophomore guard Stephanie Campbell, who contributed 11 points and seven assists to the cause. Keller and sophomore guard Kate Rolf were both named to the all-tournament team in recognition of their efforts.

It was the second time in four years that UW-Eau Claire has visited the Holiday Classic and come away victorious. In 1997, the Blugolds also took the measure of the Tigers in the title match by a 63-51 count. Wittenberg has made the championship game 14 of the 15 years the tourney has been held, claiming seven title trophies.

Box Score UW-Eau Claire 80, Wittenberg 68

2000 Kiwanis-Wittenberg Women's Basketball Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team

LaToya Banks, UW-Eau Claire (MVP)
Sarah Hughes, UW-Eau Claire
Vanessa Schley, UW-Eau Claire
Kate Rolf, Wittenberg
Tiffany Keller, Wittenberg
Hayley Smith, Maryville