SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers rallied from 11 points down at the intermission to claim a brief lead, but could not hold on as UW-Oshkosh stopped the Tigers' bid for the Charles B. Zimmerman Memorial Classic title. The Titans found clutch baskets down the stretch from Erin Baganz as they edged the home-standing Tigers, 63-60.
Senior post Rachel Dixon (West Liberty, Ohio/Salem) took charge for the Tigers, picking up a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Dixon knocked down a trio of three-point baskets to help lead one of the most prolific perimeter efforts this season. Wittenberg finished with seven treys on the evening, but they could not convert on a late attempt to tie the ball game.
Stephanie Boardman (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley) produced a standard performance, tallying 15 points to lead the way for Wittenberg. Freshman guard Allie Leopard (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana)chipped in with six for Head Coach Sarah Jurewicz' squad.
Oshkosh countered with the 18 points of their sophomore leader, Baganz, who led a parade of three Titans in double figures. Michelle Boeder and Andrea Baeten scored 14 and 13 points, resepctively, while the trio combined to shoot 17-28 from the floor. Oshkosh led by as many as 12 in the first half, before Wittenberg began their rally in the second stanza.
UW-Oshkosh moves to 5-6 on the year while Wittenberg falls to 5-4. The All-Tournament Team included Shelby Churchill, Boeder, and Baganz, with the latter collecting Tournament MVP honors. The Tigers landed Dixon and Boardman on the team as well. Alma College saw Meagan Hoblet receive an All-Tournament nod.
The Red and White look to get back on the winning trail when they hit the road and re-commence conference play this Friday and Saturday at Hiram College and Allegheny College. The trip beings on the evening of Friday, Jan. 2 from Hiram, Ohio, where the two teams will meet at 6 p.m.
Written By: Ben Bradley, SID Assistant
Photo By: Erin Pence