#10 Tigers Edge Garnet
HAVERFORD, Pa. - 2005 NCAA Division III national finalist Wittenberg (OH) shot 45 % from the floor and got double digits from three different players, defeating Swarthmore 57-46 in the first game of the 2006 Equinox Classic held in GIAC Gooding Arena on the campus of Haverford College Friday night.
Wittenberg (1-0 overall) was led by senior forward Dane Borchers (Russia, OH) and senior guard Billy Bowen (Arcadia, IN) with 12 points each while classmate Sam Gregory (Gainesville, FL) chipped in 10 points.
The Tigers took the early 11-6 lead following a Jack Hemenway jump hook at 14:32 - Wittenberg extended the lead to 16-8 following a triple from sophomore Gregg Hill. Swarthmore clipped off a 10-2 run over the next eight minutes led by 99 points from junior forward Steve Wolf (Philadelphia, PA). Wolf grabbed a long offensive rebound and sank a 15-foot jumper to knot the game at 18-18. With Borchers on the bench with two fouls, the Garnet pushed the lead to 25-21, as Wolf collected another offensive board and finished in the lane. The Tigers put Borchers back on the floor at 2:21 and Wittenberg ran off five consecutive points to lead at the half 26-25. Hill provided the final margin by darting up the floor with time ticking off, scoring the lay-up plus a foul with 1.3 showing on the clock.
Wolf led all scorers at halftime with 14 points on six-of-14 shooting while Garnet junior center Ian McCormick (Seattle, WA) added nine points. The Tigers got seven points from Gregory while freshman guard David Nowicki (Carmel, IN) contributed five points. Wittenberg held a 24-17 edge on the backboards.
Wittenberg got the jump on Swarthmore in the second half, taking a 38-28 lead after a triple from senior guard Billy Bowen at 14:58. Wolf then cut the Tigers run off with a pair of free throws but Wittenberg's Mark Heulsman gave the Tigers their largest lead of the night, 42-30, with a spin move in the lane at 12:10.
Swarthmore got a spark off the bench from freshman guard Danny Walker (Westbury, NY), who splashed in his first collegiate triple at 10:40 to make it 42-33. The Garnet defense held the Tigers without a basket over a four-minute stretch, getting as close as 42-38 following junior guard Matt Kurman's lay-up and free throw at 9:20. Borchers put an end to the drought for Wittenberg by netting both ends of a one-and-one.
The Garnet made one final push, getting within six points on a Chris Casey '07 (Williamsville, NY) three-pointer from the corner at 3:10 The Tigers iced the game by making free throws down the stretch (WU was 10-21 for the game but hit six for eight in the final two minutes).
Wittenberg shot an efficient 44.7 % from the field and hit five of 20 (41.7%) attempts from beyond the arc while limiting the Garnet to 28.3% shooting from the floor. The Tigers maintained an advantage on the glass, out-rebounding Swarthmore 48-37.
For Swarthmore (0-1), Wolf collected a double-double with a game-high 19 points and 10 rebounds, while McCormick chipped in a double-double of his own with 11 points and 10 boards.
Junior guard Patrick Martin had a game-high 18 points as Trinity (CT) shot 52% in the first half on their way to a 78-50 win over home-standing Haverford in the other Equinox first-round contest.
Day two of the Equinox Classic commences at Swarthmore's Tarble Pavilion with Wittenberg taking on Haverford at 1:00 p.m. - Swarthmore will face Trinity (CT) in the second game, set to start at 3:00 p.m.