GAMBIER, Ohio — Wittenberg junior post Katie Gregorevich (Northfield, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) enjoyed a monster game, finishing with a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds, but the Tigers managed just four field goals in the second half of a 50-41 loss at Kenyon.
As a result, the Tigers slipped back to .500 overall at 9-9 and 6-4 in the North Coast Athletic Conference. Wittenberg is part of a logjam of teams battling for positioning behind conference leader Denison, which holds a commanding three-game advantage heading into the 2006-07 home stretch.
Wittenberg, with no less than five players out with injuries currently, was limited to 41 points or less in a game for the fourth time this season. The problem was simple - shooting. Outside of Gregorevich, who hit 8-of-15 shots from the field and 3-of-7 from the free throw line, the Tigers managed just 7-of-41 from the floor and 5-of-11 from the charity stripe.
Still, the Tigers had their opportunities, thanks to a stellar defensive effort that forced Kenyon into a similarly woeful shooting performance. Wittenberg trailed by just one point at halftime and led briefly in the early going of the second half. The key stretch, however, came midway through the second half as Kenyon took command with an 8-0 run between the 9:29 and 5:43 marks of the final 20 minutes.
Beyond Gregorevich's performance, which included two blocked shots, the Tigers managed six points and seven rebounds off the bench from junior post Ali Rohlfs (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame). As a team, Wittenberg shot just 27 percent for the game - including a 4-of-31 performance in the second half - while Kenyon managed 32 percent - including a 5-of-24 performance in the second half. The difference came at the free throw line as the Tigers finished 8-of-18, while Kenyon checked in at 17-of-21.
The Ladies were paced by Anne Dugan and Eva George, who both had double-doubles. Kenyon is now 9-11 overall but has crept within one-half game of Wittenberg in the NCAC standings at 6-5.