SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – For Wittenberg women's basketball, it seemed like a lost cause with a 36-21 deficit and shots that just would not fall. But a surge of Tiger spirit enabled a dramatic 41-39 comeback win over Denison on Saturday in Pam Evans Smith Arena.
The win means that the Tigers sweep the season series and increase their lead in the all-time series to 18 games at 49-21, while improving to 15-5 overall and 7-3 in the North Coast Athletic Conference for the season.
In short, the Tigers trailed 36-19 with nine minutes left in the game, but played tenacious defense down the stretch and at long last found a shooting rhythm to outscore the Big Red 22-3 the rest of the way and take home the win.
The long version of the story is much more interesting, though.
The comeback started with 14 unanswered points over five minutes between 9:00 and 4:00 thanks to five Denison turnovers and two key three-pointers by senior Katelyn Haralamos (Maineville, Ohio/Kings). One of those three-pointers pulled the Tigers within a single point at 4:00 to go.
Denison responded with a three-pointer of their own to end the Tigers' run, but the hosts were already right back in the contest. With one minute left it was a 39-37 advantage for Denison, but senior Darbie Zirkle (St. Paris, Ohio/Graham) got her eighth steal of the game in acrobatic fashion, wresting control of the ball before throwing it off a Denison player while headed out of bounds.
Zirkle was rewarded with a trip to the free-throw line shortly thereafter, where she buried two shots to tie the game at 39. At the other end, Denison missed a three-point attempt and the rebound by sophomore Riley McDonald (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) set up another opportunity. Haralamos missed a three-point shot but a big-time rebound by sophomore Michelle Brunswick (Middletown, Ohio/Madison) turned into an assist as Haralamos made the game-winning mid-range jumper with 15 seconds remaining to put the Tigers on top for the first time since midway through the first half.
The slim lead held, as Denison fouled and Wittenberg missed one free throw, but the Big Red could muster only an off-target last-ditch three-point attempt as time expired and the Tiger bench exploded onto the court to celebrate the improbable victory.
The comeback was enabled by the Tigers' tremendous defense, which rustled up 29 turnovers from Denison on the final stat sheet, while Wittenberg committed only 13, including just three through the final 10 minutes of the game.
The total team effort resulted in 10 points for Haralamos, nine for senior Enri Small (Columbus, Ohio/Columbus School for Girls), seven for senior Heather Schroeder (Aurora, Ohio/Aurora), five for Zirkle, four for freshman Haley Dannemiller (Cleves, Ohio/Mother of Mercy), and two each for McDonald, Brunswick and freshman Bobbie Clayton (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove).
Haralamos also led the team with eight rebounds, trailed by Brunswick with six and Schroeder with five.
Zirkle's eight steals ties her for second in the team's all-time single-game records – Beth Raphael set the top mark at nine against Kenyon on Feb. 25, 1992.
The Tigers enter a stretch of three games on the road, starting with Hiram on Friday, Feb. 6, at 6 p.m. and Allegheny the next day at 1 p.m.
John Strawn '07