GREENCASTLE, Ind. – The Wittenberg women's basketball team took ninth-ranked DePauw to the brink in an overtime thriller on the road, but ultimately fell to the league-leading hosts 62-58 after a valiant effort.
The hosts, now 21-1 and atop the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) standings with a 14-0 record, finished off a season sweep of the visiting Wittenberg Tigers, who fell to 17-6 overall and 9-4 in the NCAC. Despite the loss, Wittenberg remains in second place in the conference with three more league games to go.
While the game reflected the Tigers' team-based approach, the individual highlight was the 1,000th career point for senior Katelyn Haralamos (Maineville, Ohio/Kings), who entered the night in need of 12 to hit the milestone and finished with a team-high 21. She became just the 10th student-athlete in program history to crest the 1,000-point mark, joining her one-year teammate Sarah Watson and the all-time leading scorer, current head coach Sarah Jurewicz, among others.
Wittenberg went into the halftime break down 30-21 but certainly not out, proving it by winning the second half 31-22 to send the game into overtime at a 52-52 tie when regulation ended.
The visitors put together big runs to stay in the game several times in the second half, culminating in a stretch over the final 4:45 in which Wittenberg outscored DePauw 12-5.
With the score 47-40 in favor of DePauw, senior Enri Small (Columbus, Ohio/Columbus School for Girls) converted an and-one opportunity, the first three of her five straight Tiger points, and Haralamos buried a three-point shot with 2:59 remaining to tie the game at 48.
From there, it was point-for-point until 52-all when the horn sounded the end of the half. The pattern continued right into the overtime period until a 56-56 score, when DePauw scored the next six points. A last-second jumper fell for Wittenberg, but it was not enough.
Haralamos led the team with 21 points including a perfect 5-for-5 mark at the free throw line, while sophomore Michelle Brunswick (Middletown, Ohio/Madison) topped the rebounding chart with nine and two blocks. Senior Darbie Zirkle (St. Paris, Ohio/Graham) had 10 points and five rebounds and freshman Bobbie Clayton (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove) was 4-for-6 from the field for 10 points and four rebounds.
Wittenberg returns to Pam Evans Smith Arena for a 2 p.m. Senior Day showdown with the College of Wooster on Saturday, Feb. 14.
John Strawn '07