Slow Start Dooms Tigers In NCAC Tournament Semifinal Loss To Denison

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — For the first time since the 1949-50 season, the Denison Big Red celebrated a men's basketball victory on Wittenberg's home floor after pulling off a 66-58 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament semifinal victory.

The Big Red sprinted out to a 22-4 lead to open the game and then held on down the stretch to close out their first win in Springfield since the Truman administration. The win earned Denison a berth in its first-ever NCAC Tournament championship game, scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip-off on Saturday against 19th-ranked Wooster in Wittenberg's HPER Center.

The loss damages Wittenberg's NCAA Division III Tournament hopes, although the Tigers are considered a strong contender for an at-large berth after winning the NCAC regular season title with a 14-2 record. Wittenberg, ranked 17th nationally and second in the Great Lakes Region, now stands 21-6 overall as it awaits Monday's selection show.

Denison, the fifth seed in the tournament after finishing 9-7 in the NCAC regular season, improved to 14-13 overall while avenging a nine-point loss to the Tigers on Jan. 14. The Big Red did it by combining great urgency on defense with 50 percent shooting on offense to sprint out to a commanding 39-19 lead by halftime.

The Tigers awoke in the second half, but they never found their shooting stroke. Wittenberg closed the gap to six points on multiple occasions late in the game, but the Tigers never could knock down the shot to make it a one-possession game.

The Big Red shot just 5-of-22 in the second half, but they hit 16-of-22 from the free throw line to secure the victory. The Tigers turned in an energized defensive performance over the final 20 minutes, but it wasn't enough to overcome a 33 percent shooting performance from the field, including a paltry 8-of-32 from three-point range.

Denison won the rebounding battle 38-34, thanks in large part to the performance of Dimonde Hale, who corralled 15 boards to go along with a game-high 20 points. Larry Farmer, who had the hot hand in Denison's NCAC Tournament quarterfinal upset at Wabash three days earlier, added a double-double of his own with 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Wittenberg was paced offensively by senior Josh McKee (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh), who scored 16 points to go along with six rebounds. Sophomore Steven Newell (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) added 10 points and four assists in 29 solid minutes off the bench, while senior Jacob Weide (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead) added seven points and a team-best nine rebounds.