DELAWARE, Ohio – The Wittenberg women's basketball team suffered only its second loss on the season in falling to Ohio Wesleyan 61-56 on the road on Wednesday night.

The Tigers, now 5-2 overall and 0-1 in the budding North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) campaign, did not start the league slate quite the way they had imagined but will have a chance to even up when they visit Denison on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 2 p.m., after traveling to Earlham for a 7:30 p.m. non-conference game on Tuesday, Nov. 9.

Senior Darbie Zirkle (St. Paris, Ohio/Graham) led the offense for the fifth time in seven games, posting 17 points on six field goals and three three-pointers, adding a team-best 3 assists. Senior Enri Small (Columbus, Ohio/Columbus School for Girls) checked in at second on the scoring list with 11 points and splitting the team-high in steals at three with freshman Bobbie Clayton (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove).

On the boards, junior Ali Miller (Cincinnati, Ohio/McNicholas) had her second double-digit rebounding night with 10 and also added three blocked shots and six points. Small grabbed seven rebounds, as well.

The game was neck-and-neck until the Tigers went on a seven-point run late in the first half for an eight-point lead, earning a six-point, 33-27 halftime bump. The Tigers held the lead through the first eight minutes of the second period before Ohio Wesleyan tied it up with 12 minutes left. It remained close through the end, with as little as three points separating Wittenberg and the Bishops with 1:19 left.

John Strawn '07