SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers put the finishing touches on the 11th North Coast Athletic Conference regular season championship in school history with a 59-46 defeat of visiting Wooster in the HPER CEnter.
With the win, Wittenberg improved to 18-7 overall and 14-2 in the NCAC. The Tigers entered the day with a one-half game lead on second-place Allegheny, which had already wrapped up its 2005-06 regular season schedule. While the Tigers already had a share of the title and home court advantage for next week's NCAC Tournament clinched, the team's goal on Senior Day was to finish things in style with an outright crown.
For much of the first half, that goal was in peril as Wooster overcame a slow start to take a 23-20 lead on back-to-back three-pointers by reserve guard Jessica Hope. But the Scots were held without a field goal over the final five minutes of the half, and the Tigers closed on an 11-1 run, capped by a running three-pointer at the buzzer by junior guard Andrea Hackett.
In the second half, Wooster scored the first six points to close to 31-30, but Wittenberg rallied with six straight points of its own and never looked back. Wooster never got the lead back under five points, and most of the second half was controlled by the Tigers. Four of those six points were scored by sophomore post Katie Gregorevich, who was tops in the game for either team with 17 points and 10 rebounds. It was her sixth game in double figures offensively in the last eight outings.
The key to the game was rebounding. Wooster held a commanding 21-6 advantage on the boards through the first 15 minutes of the game, but by the time the final horn sounded the Tigers held a 42-38 lead in that category. That means that for the final 25 minutes of the game, Wittenberg outrebounded Wooster by a whopping 36-17, translating into numerous second-chance opportunities.
Sixteen Wittenberg players saw action in the game, and 14 of them scored at least one point. The Tigers, who made just 1-of-9 shots from three-point range, got a lift from senior wing Carrie Jones, who made her first start of the season due to injuries and made a significant contribution. She finished with four points and two rebounds in 16 quality minutes, more than double her previous season high.
Jones and guard Brittany Landreth were honored prior to the Senior Day game. Other key statlines for the Tigers included seven points, two assists and zero turnovers for Hackett and seven points and 10 rebounds, including nine in the second half, for junior post Kathy Hittle.
Wooster was paced offensively by Carly Loerhke, who had 10 points, five steals and six rebounds. Maria Gonzalez added nine points and seven rebounds, but she also had seven turnovers.
The top-seeded Tigers will host an NCAC Tournament quarterfinal game for the 17th straight year on Tuesday. The opponent is yet to be determined.