RICHMOND, Ind. – The Wittenberg women's basketball team fell to 5-3 overall with a 67-58 loss to Earlham College on Tuesday night.
The Quakers shot 44 percent from the field against Wittenberg's 31, while foul trouble snared senior Katelyn Haralamos (Maineville, Ohio/Kings) and senior Enri Small (Columbus, Ohio/Columbus School for Girls) with foulouts during the crucial final minutes of the game.
After going down by as much as 23-8 to start the game, the Tigers battled back to close the gap to just seven points with 10:58 remaining in the game.
Earlham responded with a surge to expand the lead back to double-digits once more, but Wittenberg's spirit never quit as the Tigers closed the gap to six points with less than a minute to play.
From there, the Quakers hit three of four free throws while limiting the offensive opportunities for Wittenberg to seal the game.
For the contest, senior Darbie Zirkle (St. Paris, Ohio/Graham) led the Tigers with 14 points, including 5-of-6 at the free throw line to go with two assists and two steals. She played a significant role in the near-comebacks in the second half.
Haralamos dropped 13 points to back up Zirkle, while junior Ali Miller (Cincinnati, Ohio/McNicholas) hit for eight points and grabbed 10 rebounds, her second-straight game in double figures in the column. She also blocked three shots and dished out two assists.
For the game, Wittenberg outrebounded Earlham 44-40, held a 13-8 advantage in second-chance points and won the second half by a 36-33 margin.
The Tigers return to the hardwood at Denison at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13, for the final conference game of the calendar year.
John Strawn '07