MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[DanTHEman67]

Wittenberg up by 3 with just seconds left and Cardinal ball. Time to...
Tiger up!

[DanTHEman67]

WITTENBERG wins 58-55!
Very exciting game, including the ending.

[GoRed]

Great job, Witt!

[kiltedbryan]

Congratulations to Wittenberg! Nice run!

Now I just hope the Scots get to meet you tomorrow! About to tip in Timken, Go Scots!

[smedindy]

Good on you, Witt! Way to represent the NCAC against the semi-evil CCIW.

[Gregory Sager]

"Semi-evil"?

Does that mean that we're only evil during sectional and national semifinals?

[smedindy]

You're not the OAC!!

Actually, I'd consider the CCIW more chaotic neutral than anything else.

[smedindy]

That's a rough way to lose. Claytor air-balls the first of two free throws with two ticks left and Wooster down two. Kudos for the Scots from clawing all the way back, but they used a lot of energy getting back to square.

[kiltedbryan]

That's a rough way to lose. Claytor air-balls the first of two free throws with two ticks left and Wooster down two. Kudos for the Scots from clawing all the way back, but they used a lot of energy getting back to square.

Agreed. Tough way to lose, but IWU gets credit for just executing better throughout and playing some excellent defense to force a lot of Scots turnovers.

Wooster found the gear in the second half that they were missing in the first half, but ended up just a bit short, having dug themselves a hole that was just a bit too deep.

Good luck to Witt tomorrow as they continue to represent the NCAC in the tournament.

[DanTHEman67]

How odd for Witt to play in Timken twice and not play Wooster? I do think the loss may work to the Tiger's advantage by allowing them to escape having to play against the Scots with a home court advantage. Perhaps Wittenberg will even have a quasi-home court advantage themselves having had a lot of tournament level games in this very gym? Certainly more than their opponent. Anyway, great season Scots and let us hope the Tigers will continue to represent the NCAC well.

[smedindy]

Probably as odd as Wooster playing Denison at Witt in the conference tourney !

[Mr. Ypsi]

Hot damn - both the men's and women's Titan teams are in the Elite Eight!

Wooster fans, although we have survived both Hope @ Hope and Woo @ Woo, I'll appreciate it if you come out tomorrow night and boo Witt!

What a trifecta we are two-thirds of the way to achieving: beating the #1 ranked team on their home court, beating the #2 all-time winningest program on their home court, then beating the #1 all-time winningest program in consecutive games!  I am SO up for tomorrow!

[ScotsFan]

Well, I guess I should have just stayed home tonight as my first game of the season didn't end well for the Scots... 

Hats off to the Titans for hanging on for the win tonight.  The difference in the game, to me, was the around the last 8 minutes of the first half.  Wooster had fallen behind by 10 and clawed their way back to tie the score at 23 apiece and then had two possessions to take their first lead of the game.  And from there, things went all wrong for the Scots and the Titans ended the half on a 19-4 run for the 15 point half-time deficit. 

I'm damn proud of this team for nearly pulling off yet another improbable comeback in the NCAA tournament.  It looked like, to me anyways, that the IWU players almost had the look of victory in the first 4 minutes of the 2nd half before Wooster started to chip away at the lead.  One thing you can never do is count out the Fighting Scots!  I do I feel for Claytor for missing the front end of what could have been the game tying ft's, but he can't blame himself on the loss.  He played one hell of a game and Wooster wouldn't have been in the position they were without his play throughout the entire game!

Defensively, Wooster did a GREAT job on keeping Zimmer in check.  The problem for Wooster was, IWU got some monster efforts from a few players I don't think they would have expected it from.  Like Stephen Rudnicki dropping in 13 which is over twice his season average off the bench on blistering 6-8 shooting.  Also coming up big off the bench was Andrew Ziemnik who also dropped in 11 (3 over his season average).  And lastly, Victor Davis with a game high 18 (8 over his season avergae).

Hats off to Wooster on yet another successful season.  It sucks that it had to come to an end in the fashion that it did, but as Mike Breckenridge mentioned on the post game comments, I don't think anyone would have predicted this team would finish with 26 wins and come oh so close on making a return trip to the Elite 8.  The loss of Hallowell, Warnes and Fegan will certainly be felt, but with such a young nucleus returning, I can only be excited about what is to come next year.

I do have one award to hand out and that is Flop of the Game:  And the Academy Award goes to... Nick Anderson.  I think he missed his calling as a futballer... 

Lastly, I did want to add what a class act the entire IWU team is.  During the post-game handshakes, I saw several IWU players try and console Claytor in what I thought was a very classy move.  Especially, Victor Davis, who battled with Claytor all game long.  Nice to see...

[nuscottsfan]

http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/5165831 ........... 'nuff said.

[wooscotsfan]

Exciting game at Timken last night but Wooster came up just short vs. a tough Illinois Wesleyan squad.

Link to the game story in the Wooster Daily Record: http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/5166348

Congratulations to Wooster seniors Justin Hallowell, Matt Fegan and Justin Warnes on 4 great years! 

It was nice to see Matt Fegan set the new career mark for most games played by a Divison 3 player. 

Excellent season for Wooster (26-5) reaching the Sweet 16 after graduating Franks, Balch and Wickliffe.

Good luck to the Wittenberg Tigers tonight!  Hopefully, they can punch their ticket to Salem.