GAMBIER, Ohio — It may be a cliche, but the third time was indeed the charm for the Wittenberg women's basketball team Friday night against Ohio Wesleyan in the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament semifinals. After two losses in the regular season the Tigers at last defused the Battling Bishops by a score of 61-45 to advance to the tournament finals Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Kenyon Athletic Center.
The host Kenyon Ladies lost to Denison in the day's late game, where the Big Red pulled the upset in heart-racing fashion. The result is a matchup between Denison and Wittenberg in the finals. Wittenberg swept Denison in the regular season, and will attempt to complete the trifecta tomorrow.
Against the Bishops, the Tigers left vanity at home and used whatever advantages they could gain to secure victory. As a team, the Red & White gave up 31 turnovers, proving that winning is not always about finesse, but sometimes comes down to cold, hard motivation. Leading the charge was sophomore Stephanie Boardman (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley) with 19 points and five rebounds.
This year's seniors Katie Gregorevich (Northfield, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit), Ali Rohlfs (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame), and Ellie Stonecash (Springboro, Ohio/Middletown Fenwick) have never been to the NCAA tournament, and they showed just how motivated they are tonight. Rohlfs put up four points and pulled in four rebounds, but her real contributions came from her four assists, which all came at the perfect times. Gregorevich, with 12 points and six rebounds, was kept under her season averages in both categories but continued her strong leadership and undeniable presence on the court. Stonecash scored three points and recovered one rebound in the game.
But it was the underclassmen that really pulled the game together for the Tigers. Starting with junior Kristin Donawerth (Harrison, Ohio/Harrison), the hustle exhibited Friday night matched or exceeded season highs. Donawerth was everywhere all at once on the floor, leading the team with eight rebounds, dishing out four assists, and notching a game high six steals.
Other key players included sophomore Carrie Dyer (Copley, Ohio/Copley) and freshman Katherine Hueter (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard Darby). Both turned in double-digit scoring on excellent shooting. Dyer recorded 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting, while Hueter was unflappable on defense while contributing 10 points. As a team the Tigers shot 51 percent from the field, while incredibly holding the Bishops to 24 percent shooting, including a 4-of-21 mark from long-range.
Written by: John Strawn