SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Junior Katelyn Haralamos (Maineville, Ohio/Kings) drained a runner in the lane that fell through the basket just as the buzzer sounded to give the Wittenberg Tigers a 63-61 victory over North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) rival Allegheny.
With a mere 3.8 seconds left on the clock, Haralamos took a long pass from junior Heather Schroeder (Aurora, Ohio/Aurora) near mid-court and checked the clock after gaining her balance. She drove into the lane and knocked down an off-balance jumper from about eight feet, setting off a wild celebration.
The win was Wittenberg's second in less than 24 hours, coming on the heels of a 93-54 win over Hiram on Friday, also at Pam Evans Smith Arena. It moved the Tigers into a tie for fourth place in the NCAC standings with Kenyon at 7-5, while Allegheny fell to sixth place at 6-6.
The final sequence was set up after Allegheny just barely got a shot off to beat the shot clock at the other end. But as the two teams were battling for the rebound, one of the officials blew his whistle inadvertently. After a conference, Wittenberg was awarded the ball thanks to the alternating possession.
The lead changed in the game 10 times and there were nine ties, the last one coming after Schroeder calmly swished a pair of free throws with 38 seconds left. Schroeder led the Tigers with 17 points, followed closely by Haralamos with 15, to go along with five rebounds and four steals.
Senior Amber Rice (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) added eight points, five rebounds and five assists, while sophomore Taylore Bundy (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy Orange) drained a pair of clutch jumpers late in the second half en route to a final stats line of nine points and six boards.
As a team, Wittenberg made 39 percent from the field, although the Tigers struggled from distance, making just 3-of-17 from three-point range. Allegheny shot 33 percent from the field and attempted 15 more free throws in the game.
Wittenberg improved to 12-8 overall, heading into a home game on Wednesday, Feb. 12, against No. 1 ranked DePauw. Allegheny dropped to 12-9 overall.