Ohio Wesleyan 57, Wittenberg 52

Feb. 23, 2007

Junior post Dustin Rudegeair (Yellow Springs) hit three 3-pointers and junior post Jesse Jean (Alexandria, Va./Hyde (Conn.) School) scored 6 points as Ohio Wesleyan turned a 24-23 halftime deficit into a 46-30 lead and withstood a last-minute barrage of Wittenberg 3-pointers to defeat the Tigers in a North Coast Athletic Conference tournament semifinal matchup on Friday at the College of Wooster.

The victory moves Ohio Wesleyan into the tournament championship game against top-seeded Wooster. It is the Bishops' first tournament title game appearance since 1990.

The win also marked the first time that Ohio Wesleyan has defeated Wittenberg twice in a season since the 1949-50 campaign. That year, the Bishops defeated the Tigers by a score of 72-54 in Ohio Wesleyan's Edwards Gym and by a margin of 79-55 in Wittenberg Field House.

Ohio Wesleyan raced to a 9-0 lead on a 3-pointer and a bucket by Rudegeair and 2 baskets by Jean before the Tigers got on the scoreboard on Billy Bowen's 3-pointer with 15:31 left in the first half.

The Bishops still led, 20-12, on a 3-pointer by sophomore wing Kyle Holliday (Van Wert) with 7:11 left in the first half when Wittenberg took the lead with a 12-1 run. Sam Gregory contributed 2 baskets and a pair of free throws and Dane Borchers had a pair of buckets during the Wittenberg run.

Rudegeair brought the Bishops within 24-23 with a jumper from the lane with :23 to play, and Jean's lay-in on the opening possession of the second half put Ohio Wesleyan ahead to stay. Rudegeair and Jean followed with baskets from the lane to give Ohio Wesleyan a 29-24 lead.

Still up by 5 points at 35-30, the Bishops reeled off 11 straight points in threatening to put the game away. Rudegeair hit back-to-back 3-pointers, Jean followed with a basket and Rudegeair finished off the run with a 3-pointer with 7:21 to go.

Ohio Wesleyan led, 48-34, after a pair of free throws from junior wing Brian Cafarella (Westerville/North) with 3:18 to play when Wittenberg mounted a comeback.

Brandan Barabino started the run by swishing a 3-pointer from 25 feet, and after an offensive foul on Rudegeair, Gregg Hill drilled a 22-footer to bring the Tigers within 48-40 with 1:59 to go.

Sophomore wing Kyle Miller (Delaware/Hayes), senior wing Ted Uritus (Columbus/Bishop Watterson) and junior guard Casey Teeters (Westerville/Columbus St. Charles) combined to go 6-for-8 from the line as Wittenberg traded free throws for possessions, but the Tigers got 3-pointers from Barabino, Kyle Bigler and Hill to close within 54-49 with :39 to play, and after Uritus hit the second of 2 free throws and Barabino hit another 3-pointer, Wittenberg was as close as 55-52 with :29 to go.

The Tigers fouled Holliday immediately, and the Bishop wing hit the first of 2 free throws to make it a 2-possession game. Hill misfired on a 3-pointer at the Wittenberg end, and the Bishops controlled the rebound. Uritus was fouled with :18 to play and hit the second of 2 free throws to account for the final 57-52 margin.

Rudegeair led the Bishops with 19 points and Jean finished with 10 points. Miller and Teeters shared the team lead with 4 rebounds apiece, and senior wing Matt Shirer (Medina) dished out 4 assists.

For Wittenberg, Hill and Barabino shared the team lead with 11 points apiece, and Borchers scored 10 points and grabbed an NCAC tournament-record 20 rebounds.

Box Score

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