Wittenberg Beats Baldwin Wallace, 78-60, to Advance to Sectional Round of
NCAA Division III Tournament
BEREA, OHIO —Senior guard Kenny Brady scored a team-high 20 points as the Wittenberg University men's basketball team defeated Baldwin Wallace University, 78-60, tonight (March 4) in the Championship Game and second round of the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Region at the Wittenberg University HPER Center in Springfield.
With its win, Wittenberg advances to the Sectional and third round of the NCAA Division III National Tournament next Friday and Saturday, March 10-11 and will play the winner of tonight's Hope (Mich.) College versus Calvin (Mich.) College game next Friday at a site to be determined by the NCAA Committee on Sunday, March 5.
With its win, Wittenberg improves to 27-3 overall. With its loss, BW ends its season at 25-5 overall. The 25 victories represents a school single-season record.
In the first half, the Tigers built a 15-point lead at 44-29 with 2:16 left when Brady canned a jumper. Wittenberg also led at halftime, 44-31.
In the second half, the Yellow Jackets closed to within seven points at 55-48 with 11:28 remaining in the game when junior forward Chad Clark (Fremont/ Ross) canned a jumper. Then the Tigers rebuilt their lead to as many as 18 points at 66-48 with 5:33 remaining when senior forward Dane Borchers made a jumper. BW battled back again and went on a 10-0 run to get as close as eight points at 66-58 with 3:42 left in the game when sophomore guard Brendan Schuler (Fairview Park/ Fairview) made a three-pointer. Undaunted, Wittenberg outscored BW 12-2 down the stretch to advance to the "Sweet 16".
In addition to Brady for Wittenberg, Borchers had 18 points and senior center Daniel Russ had 12 points. BW was led by junior preseason All-American forward Tori Davis (Elyria/ Open Door) with a game-high 26 points and senior guard Keith Aufmuth (Brooklyn) had 10.
FOR MORE BW SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact BW Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327, by FAX machine at 440-826-2329 or via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu. To contact Head Coach Steve Bankson, please call him at 440-826-2039, via FAX at 440-826-2192 or via e-mail at sbankson@bw.edu.
Game Notes vs. Wittenberg
The Baldwin Wallace University YELLOW JACKET men's basketball team travels to Springfield, Ohio and will play the Wittenberg University Tigers in a second round and Great Lakes Region Championship Game in the 2006 NCAA Division III National Tournament on Saturday, March 4 in the Wittenberg HPER Center at 7:00 p.m.
RADIO -- All NCAA Division III Tournament games will be broadcast by BW campus radio station WBW, 88.3 FM, and via the WBW's Internet Web site at www.wBW.com. Seniors Matt Florjancic and Andy Newcomer call all of the action. The pregame show generally begins 15 minutes prior to tipoff.
Baldwin Wallace University
LOCATION: Berea, Ohio
NICKNAME: Yellow Jackets
CONFERENCE: Ohio Athletic
2005-2006 RECORD: 25-4
LAST GAME: Beat Carnegie Mellon, 79-71, on Mar. 3 in the Opening Round of the NCAA Tournament of the NCAA Tournament in Springfield.
HEAD COACH: Steve Bankson
BW RECORD: 390-303
YEAR AT BW: 26th
CAREER RECORD: 42nd/ 671-420
SERIES STANDING: Wittenberg leads, 35-11
LAST MEETING: Feb. 29, 1996 in the NCAA Trny.
WHO WON: Wittenberg won, 70-61
NEXT GAME FOR EACH TEAM: NCAA Division III Great Lakes Region Sectional Tournament Semifinals: The winner of this game plays the winner of the Hope (Mich.) College versus Calvin (Mich.) College game on Friday, March 10 at a site and time to be determined on Sunday, March 5.
WITTENBERG UNIVERSITY
LOCATION: Springfield, Ohio
NICKNAME: Tigers
CONFERENCE: North Coast Athletic
2005-2006 RECORD: 26-3
LAST GAME: Beat Lake Erie, 76-40 on Mar. 3 in the Opening Round of the NCAA Tournament in Springfield.
HEAD COACH: Bill Brown
WU RECORD: 301-69
YEAR AT WU: 13th
CAREER RECORD: 19th/ 361-168
GAME NOTES -- The sixth-ranked Baldwin Wallace University men's basketball team travels to Springfield, Ohio to play host Wittenberg University in the second round and Championship Game of the Great Lakes Region of the 2006 NCAA Divsion II National Tournament at the Wittenberg HPER Center.
Baldwin Wallace is the 2005-2006 Ohio Athletic Conference regular season champion and the two-time OAC Tournament champion. The Yellow Jackets enter this game with a 25-4 overall record. The Yellow Jackets advanced to the Great Lakes Region Championship Game with a 79-71 victory against Carnegie-Mellon (Pa.) University last night in Springfield. The win was BW's fourth straight.
Wittenberg is ranked third nationally by www.d3hoops.com and comes into this game with a 26-3 oveall record. The Tigers finished second during the North Coast Athletic Conference regular season and won the NCAC Tournament title. Wittenberg advanced to the Great Lakes Region final with a convincing, 76-40, win versus Lake Erie College last night (March 3) in Springfield in the second game of the doubleheader. Wittenberg has won five straight games.
The All-Time BW and Wittenberg Series -- This is the 47th meeting all-time between Baldwin Wallace University and Wittenberg University in men's basketball. Wittenberg, which once was a memeber of the Ohio Athletic Conference, has not faced the Yellow Jackets since February 29, 1996 in the NCAA Division III Tournamet when the Tigers won, 70-61. The last BW win came on March 4, 1995 when BW travelled to Springfield and beat the Tigers, 74-70, in the second round of the 1995 NCAA Division III National Tournament.
The Baldwin Wallace University Starters and Information -- The Yellow Jackets enter this game averaging 87.6 points per game and are giving up 76.0 ppg. for a scoring differential of plus 11.6 ppg. The Yellow Jackets are grabbing 38.9 rebounds per contest, 7.0 more per game than their opponents. BW shoots 54 percent from the field, 41.2 percent from three-point range and 73.3 percent from the foul line.
Look for veteran Yellow Jackets Head Coach Steve Bankson to play as many as 11 players in this game. He will start 6’4” junior Tori Davis (Elyria/ Open DoorChristian School) and 6'2" senior forward Dan Gundert (Wellington) at the post positions. In the backcourt, look for 6’0' sophomore Tyler Sekerak (Corry, Pa./ Corry Area), 5’10” Brendan Schuler (Fairview Park/ Fairview) and 6’0” senior sharpshooter Keith Aufmuth (Brooklyn) to start. Davis tops the team and OAC in scoring with 23.3 ppg. and tops BW in rebounding with 8.6 rpg. He shoots 65.1 percent from the field and 72.6 percent from the line and tops the team with 61 blocked shots. Gundert scores 11.3 ppg., is second in rebounding with 7.7 rpg., is second in steals with 44 and shoots 62.7 percent from the floor and 82.6 percent from the line. Aufmuth averages 13.6 ppg. and has 59 assists, 61 three-pointers and a team-leading 47 steals. Schuler leads the team with 144 assists and scores 11.7 ppg. He also is first on the team with 66 three-pointers. Sekerak scores 8.1 ppg., is third on the team with 64 assists, third with 43 steals and third with 33 three's.
Off the bench, look for Bankson to play 6'4" junior post Chad Clark (Fremont/ Ross), 6'2" junior Nick Meyer (Mentor), 5’11” freshman guard Dennis Santiago (Brook Park/ Midpark), 6'2" junior guard Luke Lyle (Fremont Ross) and 6’5” senior forward Charod Hale (Akron/ Kenmore). Clark scores at 6.8 ppg., grabs 3.2 rpg. and shoots 86.7 percent from the foul line. Santiago scores 4.5 ppg. Meyer scores 4.3 ppg. and grabs 1.9 rpg.
Wittenberg Probable Starters and Information -- The Tigers of Wittenberg score 70.4 points per game and give up 54.1 ppg. for a plus 16.3 scoring differential per game. Wittenberg shoots 49.2 percent from the floor, 38.5 percent from three-point range and 71.5 percent from the foul line. The Tigers grab 37.5 rpg. and that is 10 more than their opponents.
Look for Head Coach Bill Brown to play 10 to 11 players. Brown will start 6'8" senior Dane Borchers and 6'9" senior Daniel Russ at the post positions. In the backcourt, look for 6'4" senior Kenny Brady, 6'1" senior Phil Steffes, and 6'0" junior Pat Denbow to start. Russ leads the team in scoring at 15.5 ppg., and in blocked shots with 50. He also pulls down 6.1 rpg., is third with 52 assists, cans 56.5 percent of his field goals and has canned nine three-pointers. Borchers is second on the team in scoring at 12.9 ppg., tops the team with 7.7 rpg. and shoots 77.7% from the foul line. Brady scores 11.3 ppg., grabs 4.5 rpg., has canned 35 triple's, passed for 53 assists and shoots 79% from the line. Steffes scores 3.9 ppg., grabs 2.5 rpg., has 43 assists and has 16 treys. Denbow leads the team with 63 assists and scores2.9 ppg. with 19 treys.
Off the bench, look for Coach Brown to play 6'2" freshman wing Tyler Howard, 6'0" freshman guard Gregg Hill, 6'1" junior guard Billy Bowen, 6'5" junior post Jack Hemenway, 6'1" freshman wing D.J. Corbett, 6'2" freshman guard Dan McNeely and 6'5" junior post Mark Huelsman. Howard is scoring 6.9 ppg., grabs 2.3 rpg. and has canned a team-leading 36 three-pointers. Hill scores 5.3 ppg., has passed for 27 assists and has canned 12 three-pointers. Bowen, who has started one game this season, scores 4.0 ppg. and has a team-leading 37 steals.
In BW's Last Game: Baldwin Wallace--79, Carengie Mellon - 71 in the Opening Round of the NCAA Division III National Tournament on Friday, March 3, in the Wittenberg HPER Center in Springfield, Ohio -- Junior forward and 2005-2006 OAC Player of the Year Tori Davis scored a game-high 25 points, grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and blocked five shots as Baldwin Wallace University defeated Carnegie-Mellon (Pa.) University in the first and semifinal round of the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Region Tournament in the Wittenberg University HPER Center in Springfield. In addition, sophomore guard Brendan Schuler scored 16 points and canned four three-pointers, and senior guard Keith Aufmuth had 14 points and five steals.
In Wittenberg's Last Game: Wittenberg -- 76, Lake Erie College -- 40 in the Opening Round of the NCAA Division III National Tournament on Friday, March 3, in the Wittenberg HPER Center in Springfield, Ohio -- Senior guard Kenny Brady scored a game-high 23 points and canned four three-pointers as the host Wittenberg University Tigers defeated Lake Erie College, 76-40, in the other first and semifinal round game of the Great Lakes Region at Wittenberg. The easy victory allowed the Tigers to play all 14 of its players. In addition, senior post Daniel Russ had 13 points and a game-high 11 rebounds and junior guard Billy Bowen came off the bench to score 11 points, grab five rebounds and pass for a team-high four assists.
Yellow Jacket Chatter
BW is the Two-Time OAC Tournament Champion -- BW is the two-time Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament champion. The Yellow Jackets have won five OAC Tournament titles in school history (1967, 1996, 1998, 2005 and 2006).
The OAC Regular Season Title -- BW's outright Ohio Athletic Conference regular season title this season is its first since the 1978-79 season and is the fourth in school history. BW also has won four OAC Tournament titles, including last season's, and is the top seed in this week's OAC Tournament.
The School-Record for Victories in a Season -- With its win versus Carnegie-Mellon (Pa.) University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, BW increased its single-season school-record win total to 25 and now own a 25-4 overall record. The previous record of 23 wins was set in the 1966-67 season when the Yellow Jackets finished 23-9 overall under then Head Coach Hugh Thompson.
Steve Bankson is the OAC Coach of the Year -- For the first time in his 26-year Yellow Jacket career, veteran Head Coach Steve Bankson was named as the 2005-2006 Ohio Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. Bankson has led BW to one OAC regular season title and five OAC Tournament crowns. Bankson is the winningest men's basketball coach in BW's school history with 389 (as of 2/28)wins in 26 years. He has 670(as of 2/28) victories in his 41-year career. Bankson is 389-303 at BW, was 232-90 at Lorain County Community College and 49-24 in three seasons at the high school level. Bankson is also serving as BW's Men's Director of Athletics.
Tori Davis is the OAC Mike Gregory Award Winner/ OAC Player of the Year -- Junior forward Tori Davis is the 2005-2006 Ohio Athletic Conference Player of the Year. He is a three-time All-OAC selection, including a two-time first-team pick. He also was named as the 2006 OAC Tournament Most Valuable Player.
Four Yellow Jackets Make All-OAC Squad -- Four Yellow Jackets were named to the 2006 All-OAC team. Tori Davis was tabbed to the first-team for the second straight year and third year overall (second-team as a freshman). Keith Aufmuth was a second-team choice and marked his second appearance on the honor squad (honorable mention as a sophomore). In addition, sophomore guard Brendan Schuler and senior forward Dan Gundert were named to the honorable mention group.
Tori Davis Sets a Single-Season Scoring Record -- Davis has scored 677 points this season and has set a single-season record. He surpassed Kevin Braaten's previos single-season record of 582 which he set in the NCAA Tournament "Sweet 16" season of 1994-95 season. Davis also is seventh all-time with 701 rebounds and second with 181 blocked shots.
Davis is Making His Way up the Charts -- Tori Davis is eighth on the all-time scoring list with 1,600 points and needs 28 more to surpass Shelley Waters (1978-82), who scored 1,627 career points and ranks seventh on the all-time Yellow Jacket scoring list.
Yellow Jackets are Setting Records as a Team -- The BW men's basketball team is on pace to break the single-season shooting percentage record which it set last year at 50.7 percent. Entering tonight's game, the Yellow Jackets are shooting 54 percent from the floor and have connected on 913-of-1692 total shot attempts.
Keith Aufmuth is 20th on the Yellow Jacket All-Time Scoring List -- Keith Aufmuth has 1,125 career points to rank 20th on the Yellow Jacket all-time scoring list. Next up for Aufmuth is Dick Scott (1964-68) with 1,116 points and Ken Hemmerich (1958-61) with 1,141 points. Aufmuth also has 279 career rebounds, 277 assists, 170 three-pointers and 126 steals in a BW career-record 110 games overall, including 84 starts.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, Please visit the Baldwin Wallace Athletics website at www.bw.edu/athletics for up to date results and statistics. For further inquiries, please contact BW SID Kevin Ruple by phone at (440) 826-2327, by FAX at (440) 826-2329 or via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu. BW Head Coach Steve Bankson can be reached by phone at (440) 826-2039, by FAX at (440) 826-2192 or via e-mail at sbankson@bw.edu.