SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — After struggling through the first half, the Wittenberg Tigers put together a big second half to run away from visiting Oberlin in North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament quarterfinal action, 79-49. The win advanced the Tigers to the NCAC Tournament semifinals for the 19th consecutive year.
It also improved third-seeded Wittenberg to 14-10 overall, including a 12-4 mark in the NCAC regular season, which was good for a second-place tie with Ohio Wesleyan. Sixth-seeded Oberlin ended the season at 5-20 overall.
The final score was deceiving as the Tigers didn't take control until midway through the second half. After taking a 28-24 lead in the locker room at halftime, Wittenberg finally found an offensive rhythm with a 12-0 run that expanded a 37-30 lead at the 16:07 mark to a 49-30 advantage at the 11:44 mark. From there, the Tigers cruised, thanks in large part to 68 percent shooting over the final 20 minutes.
The Tigers put a season-high five players in double figures, led by senior postKatie Gregorevich (Northfield, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit), who made her final appearance in Pam Evans Smith Arena a memorable one with 21 points, four rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and two steals. Along the way, Gregorevich moved into fifth place on Wittenberg's career scoring list.
Gregorevich, who hit 9-of-13 from the field and 2-of-2 from three-point range, was ably backed by 12 points from senior post Ali Rohlfs (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) with 12 points, three rebounds and three assists. Sophomore wingCarrie Dyer (Copley, Ohio/Copley) added 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds, senior wing Ellie Stonecash (Springboro, Ohio/Middletown Fenwick)chipped in with 10 straight points midway through the second half, and sophomore post Stephanie Boardman (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley) rounded things out with 10 points, five rebounds and three assists in an efficient 17-minute performance off the bench.
The Tigers, who shot 53 percent from the field for the game, compared to 29 percent for Oberlin, advanced to face the winner of the Ohio Wesleyan/Hiram quarterfinal game at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 29, at Kenyon. The semifinal winners will play at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 1, also at Kenyon, for the right to play in the NCAA Division III Tournament.