2002-03 News
The Wittenberg University women's basketball team had one of its best seasons ever in 2002-03. The Tigers posted a winning record for the 14th consecutive season, dating back to 1989-90, by compiling a 24-5 overall mark and a perfect 16-0 mark in the North Coast Athletic Conference.
A banner winter sports season has reaped tangible rewards for 25 Wittenberg University athletes and two coaches who earned All-North Coast Athletic Conference awards. Announcements for men's and women's basketball came in separate releases from the NCAC office last week.
The Wittenberg Tigers entered the 2003 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament as one of the nation's hottest teams, winners of 19 straight games and the NCAC regular season and tournament championships. It all came to a halt, however, in the first round of the national tourney last Wednesday in a 64-57 loss at Baldwin-Wallace.
For the first time in five years, the Tiger women's basketball team will participate in the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament. The Tigers will play at Baldwin-Wallace at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 5. The winner of that game earns a date with seventh-ranked Wilmington in the second round at 3 p.m. Saturday.
Early in the 2002-03 women's basketball season, the Wittenberg Tigers ventured north for a nonconference battle with nationally ranked Baldwin-Wallace and came away stung by a 79-53 defeat. What a difference three months makes. While the end result - a loss, this time by a 64-57 count, to the Yellow Jackets - was the same, this time Wittenberg had its fate in its own hands deep into the game.
Wittenberg seniors Kate Rolf and Stephanie Campbell lead the Tigers' contingent with their third career all-conference nods.
For the first time in five years, the Wittenberg University women's basketball team is headed for the so-called "Big Dance," the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament. The Tigers found out Sunday that they will be on the road in the 2003 competition, starting with a game at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 5.
The Wittenberg Tigers had seen this movie before, and they were none too happy with the ending. This time, the Tigers wrote a much more pleasing script for themselves, toppling two-time defending North Coast Athletic Conference tournament champion Ohio Wesleyan, 72-58, on the same court where the Battling Bishops had won the 2002 title.
The Wittenberg Tigers know that despite winning every game since the calendar flipped 2003, they most likely will have to run the table in the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament to earn an invitation to the NCAA Division III Tournament. On Friday, in the semifinals against Allegheny, the Tigers left nothing to chance as they absolutely buried the Gators 95-27.
The Wittenberg women's basketball team wrapped up the 2002-03 regular season in style last week, crushing North Coast Athletic Conference foes Oberlin and Denison on the Tigers' home court to complete a perfect 16-0 regular season conference record and run their overall mark to 21-4. Last Wednesday, the Tigers rang up their 15th straight win by defeating visiting Oberlin, 97-61.
The Wittenberg women's basketball team did what it had to do on Tuesday night in the quarterfinals of the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament. The Tigers won in convincing fashion over visiting Oberlin College 86-46 to advance to the semifinals of the conference tourney.
Coming into Saturday's regular season finale at the HPER Center, the hottest team in the North Coast Athletic Conference was clearly the Wittenberg Tigers with 15 consecutive wins. The runner-up was Denison, which had claimed six consecutive victories. On Saturday, the Tigers remained unquestionably the hottest team around by blitzing the visiting Big Red on Senior Recognition Day, 83-55.
The Wittenberg Tigers moved one step closer to the third perfect North Coast Athletic Conference record in school history Wednesday night by easily defeating visiting Oberlin 97-61. The win, the Tigers' 15th consecutive, moved Wittenberg to 20-4 overall and 15-0 in the NCAC, while Oberlin dropped to 6-17 overall and 2-13 in the conference.
Ever since the calendar flipped to 2003, the Wittenberg University women's basketball team has been perfect. Fourteen straight victories, all against North Coast Athletic Conference opponents in the Year 2003, have produced a ninth NCAC regular season championship since the Tigers joined the league prior to the 1988-89 season.
Ever since the calendar flipped to 2003, the Wittenberg University women’s basketball team has been perfect. Fourteen straight victories, all against North Coast Athletic Conference opponents in the Year 2003, have produced a ninth NCAC regular season championship since the Tigers joined the league prior to the 1988-89 season.
The Wittenberg Tigers had to do it the hard way for once, rallying for a 62-49 victory over the host Earlham Quakers after falling behind midway through the second half. The win, Wittenberg's 13th consecutive, improved the defending North Coast Athletic Conference regular season champion Tigers to 18-4 overall and 13-0 in the NCAC, and it clinched at least a share of a second straight conference title.