Tigers Onto NCAC Final After Breaking Free Throw Record

GREENCASTLE, Ind. – The Wittenberg women's basketball team forced overtime against the Denison Big Red and used the extra period to forge a 76-72 win in the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals.

The Tigers put four players into double figures in the win, which came as second-seeded Wittenberg scored 11 points in the overtime period against seven for Denison.

The extra time was necessary after Denison outscored Wittenberg 39-34 in the second half, following a first half that finished 31-26 in the Tigers' favor. The Tigers are now 22-6 on the season.

Wittenberg had an off-night from the field at 33 percent shooting, but made up for it by scoring 26 points off Denison's 27 turnovers while limiting the Big Red to six points. At the free throw line, the Tigers hit a staggering 34 free throws to break the team's single-game record of 30, set on Feb. 6, 2004, at Allegheny.

The Tigers finished off the second half and the overtime period without the services of starting senior wing Darbie Zirkle (St. Paris, Ohio/Graham), who had accounted for a team-high 17 points, two steals, two blocks and three rebounds, and key freshman reserve Bobbie Clayton (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove), who hit five of her six free throw attempts for seven points and three steals. Both players fouled out in the second half.

But the team came together to finish the game off, getting 15 points from senior Katelyn Haralamos (Maineville, Ohio/Kings), 14 points from senior Enri Small (Columbus, Ohio/Columbus School For Girls), 12 points from senior Heather Schroeder (Aurora, Ohio/Aurora), and an impressive 16 rebounds from sophomore Michelle Brunswick (Middletown, Ohio/Madison).

Sophomore Riley McDonald (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) stepped up in a big way, providing 23 minutes off the bench to fill the holes left by the two foulouts. She counted for seven points and two steals on 2-for-3 shooting from the field and a 3-for-4 mark at the line.

At the free throw stripe, Haralamos and Schroeder were each 4-for-4 while Small and Zirkle went 8-for-10. McDonald was 3-for-4 and Brunswick 2-for-3.

Even more staggering than the 34 made free throws may be the identity of the Tigers' opponent for the final game of the NCAC Tournament. Unranked Ohio Wesleyan, with a 15-12 overall record, pulled off an incredible upset of eighth-ranked hosts DePauw University, who exited the tournament with a 24-2 record. The Battling Bishops and Wittenberg will square off at 4 p.m. in Neal Fieldhouse on DePauw's campus.

John Strawn '07