The Wittenberg women's basketball team played a killer non-conference schedule during the first six months of the season, compiling a 3-5 record. All five losses are to teams that have been ranked in the top 25 nationally at some point this season, including three teams that remain in the polls today.
The Tigers may well be reaping the benefits of such difficult scheduling. Since dropping a 55-50 decision in the championship game of the Charles B. Zimmerman Memorial Classic on Dec. 30, Wittenberg has reeled off three straight North Coast Athletic Conference victories to take the early lead in the 2005-06 regular season title chase.
Overall, Wittenberg stands at 8-5, but the Tigers have a perfect 5-0 record in the NCAC, including a key 82-80 overtime win on Tuesday against Denison. The Big Red defeated Wittenberg three times a year ago en route to the NCAC Tournament title and a berth in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.
In that game, sophomore post Ali Rohlfs (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) put together a 10-point, 10-rebound performance for her first double-double of the season. To top it off, Rohlfs drained a short jumper with just three seconds left in the overtime period to give the Tigers the hard-fought victory.
Rohlfs finished her week with 21 points, 20 rebounds, nine assists and four steals in the three wins last week, including a 63-50 decision against visiting Allegheny on Friday and a 74-51 victory over Hiram at home on Saturday. She was recognized by the NCAC with the first Player of the Week honors of her career on Jan. 8.
A trio of post players have asserted themselves in recent weeks. Junior Kathy Hittle (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville) leads the Tigers in scoring and rebounding with averages of 11.8 and 8.9 per game, while Rohlfs checks in third on the team in scoring at 8.0 and second in rebounding at 6.2. Sophomore Katie Gregorevich (Northfield, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) has picked up her game of late, culminating in her first double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 rebounds against Hiram. She checks in with averages of 5.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per outing.
Also of note, two wing players are making key contributions. Junior Megan Miller (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) is second on the team in scoring and tops in three-pointers with 33. With her long range shot a little off lately (except for a 4-for-6 performance against Denison), Miller, who is 20-of-23 from the free throw line, has displayed patience in finding other ways to score. Against Allegheny, all nine of her points came in the second half as the Tigers slowly pulled away for the double-digit victory.
In addition, freshman Rachel Dixon (West Liberty, Ohio/Salem) has been an energizer off the bench for the Tigers. Against Denison, she scored a career-high 15 points, including six straight in overtime after Wittenberg had fallen behind by one point.