SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Tigers had many motives for a win against Ohio Wesleyan on Wednesday night. The team was sponsoring the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's "Think Pink Night", defending their home turf, and out for a bit of revenge against the visiting Bishops, who dispatched the Tigers on Jan. 26 in Delaware, Ohio. But injuries continued to crop up in the days before the game, and the Tigers could not get anything to go their way Wednesday despite hard work across the floor in a 62-63 loss.
Crowning that hard work was the double-double of Katherine Hueter (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard Darby), who scored 10 while pulling in a season-high 12 rebounds.Katie Gregorevich (Northfield, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) led the team in scoring once again with 17, and was followed closely by Stephanie Boardman (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley) who dropped in 16 on top of 6 rebounds.
The Tigers had one of their best outings of the year from the field, shooting 50.9% overall. But from beyond the three-point arc and at the charity stripe, Wittenberg could not get it done. From long range, the Red and White hit just three shots out of 12 attempts, and at the stripe it was not much better, making just three of eight attempts. The line must have been farther from the hoop than normal, because the Bishops struggled to hit free throws as well, knocking down just 4-of-17.
From three-point range it was a much different story for Ohio Wesleyan. Like night and day, the Bishops went 2-of-11 in the first and somehow broke out of the slump to nail 7-of-11 three pointers in the second half. The Tigers are realing from the losses of Katie Gardner (Newark, Ohio/Newark) and Victoria Leali (Jackson, Ohio/Jackson), who both suffered torn ACLs in the last week, Gardner while playing against Hiram on Saturday and Leali in practice yesterday.
With the game tied at 62 with 20 seconds left, Gregorevich fouled Ohio Wesleyan's Kelli Lester, who hit 1-of-2 from the line to put the Bishops up by one. Coming down the floor with 15 seconds, the Tigers absorbed a foul, and Gregorevich attempted a jumper with four seconds left, but could not find the hoop.
Wittenberg travels to Wooster on Saturday for a 2 p.m. tip-off in Timken Gymnasium.
Written by: John Strawn