10th-Ranked Baldwin-Wallace, 49-47, in the OAC Championship Game
BEREA, OHIO —Freshman forward Danielle Manalac scored on a layup with 2.37 seconds left in the game as the ninth-ranked and second-seeded Capital University women's basketball team defeated top-seeded and 10th-ranked Baldwin-Wallace College, 49-47, in the 2006 Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament Championship Game in the Rudolph Ursprung Gymnasium in the Lou Higgins Center in Berea.
The tourney title gives the Crusaders the OAC's automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament which begins next week.
With its win, Capital improves to 25-3 overall. In defeat B-W is now 24-4 overall and now must wait to see if it will receive an At-Large bid from the NCAA Division III Selection Committee.
In the first half, B-W jumped out to a 7-4 lead at the 15:31 mark when junior guard Steffani Jaworski (Parma/ Padua) scored on a layup. Capital then tied the game at 7-7. After four more ties with the last one being at 19-19 with 2:57 remaining, B-W went on a 6-0 run as freshman guard Amanda Mondrach (Parma/ Parma Heights Holy Name) and senior guard Nikki Altenweg (Perry) each canned three-pointers. B-W continued its run and led by its largest margin of the first stanza at eight points and 29-21 when Altenweg canned a jumper with one second left.
In the second half, B-W increased its lead to as many as 10 points on two separate occassions with the last one being at 37-27 with 16:20 left when freshman Leah Mottayaw (Mansfield/ Madison) scored on a layup. Undaunted, Capital went on a 9-0 run to close to with one point at 37-36 and finally tied the score at 39-all with 7:58 left when senior guard Kati Todd canned a three-pointer. After B-W scored four straight points, Capital countered to tie the game at 43-43 and 45-45. On its final possession of Capital senior guard Sara Heitkamp drove the lane and passed to Manalac who scored the game-winner. B-W's final length-of-the-court pass went out-of-bounds and Capital won its first OAC Tournament title since 1997.
Capital was led by Heitkamp with 11 points and senior forward Jennifer Lilly had 10 points. B-W was led by senior center Jenn Neal (Mentor) and Jaworski with eight points each.
The 2006 NCAA Division III National Tournament begins on March 1 with the National Championship Game being played in Springfield, Massachusetts on March 25.
FOR MORE B-W SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact B-W 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 Cheri Harrer, please call her at 440-826-3299, via FAX at 440-826-2192 or via e-mail at charrer@bw.edu.
Game Notes vs. Capital
The BALDWIN-WALLACE COLLEGE YELLOW JACKET women's basketball team will play host to Ohio Athletic Conference rival Capital University in the 2006 OAC Tournament Championship Game on Saturday, February 25 at 3:00 p.m. in the Rudolph Ursprung Gymnasium in the Lou Higgins Center in Berea, Ohio. The winner advances to the 2006 NCAA Division III National Tournament.
RADIO -- All Yellow Jacket women's basketball OAC Tournament games are broadcast by campus radio station WBWC, 88.3 FM, and via the WBWC Internet Web site at www.wbwc.com. The pregame show begins 15 minutes prior to tipoff.
WEBCAST/ TELEVISION -- The 2006 OAC Women's Basketball Championship Game will be Webcast by the OAC through TRZ Communications. Veteran Columbus sportscaster Randy Rhinehart will call the play-by-play. The game can be accessed by logging onto www.teamline.cc/teampages.html?teamcode=1067. The pregame show begins at 7:15 p.m.
BALDWIN-WALLACE COLLEGE
LOCATION: Berea, Ohio
NICKNAME: Yellow Jackets
CONFERENCE: Ohio Athletic
2005-2006 RECORD: 24-3
OAC RECORD: 17-1 (first place)
LAST GAME: Beat Otterbein, 72-60, on Feb. 23 in Berea in an OAC Semifinal game.
HEAD COACH: Cheri Harrer
B-W RECORD: 325-117
YEAR AT B-W: 16th
CAREER RECORD: same as above
SERIES RECORD: CU leads, 34-16
LAST MEETING: Feb. 18, 2006 in Berea
WHO WON: CU won, 67-65
SERIES BEGAN: 1982-83, CU won, 103-50
CAPITAL UNIVERSITY
LOCATION: Bexley, Ohio
NICKNAME: Crusaders
CONFERENCE: Ohio Athletic
2005-2006 RECORD: 24-3
OAC RECORD: 15-3 (second place)
LAST GAME: Beat Wilmington, 68-62, on Feb. 23 in Bexley in an OAC semifinal game.
HEAD COACH: Dixie Jeffers
CU RECORD: 444-110
YEAR AT CU: 20th
CAREER RECORD: 496-131
The Pregame Setup -- The top-seeded Baldwin-Wallace College women's basketball team will seek a second straight Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament Championship when it makes its ninth appearance in the championship game in the last 10 years when it faces second-seeded Capital University in the 2006 OAC Tournament Championship Game in the Ursprung Gym in Berea. B-W is the defending OAC tourney champ.
The Yellow Jackets enter this game with a 24-3 overall record and captured the OAC regular season title with a 17-1 mark. B-W last played on Thursday (Feb. 23) when it beat Otterbein College, 72-60, in Berea in the semifinal round of the OAC tourney. The Jackets' have won two straight games and have triumphed in 15 of their last 16 games played.
Capital also enters this game with a 24-3 overall record and finished second during the OAC regular season with a 15-3 mark. The Crusaders last played on Thursday when they beat Wilmington College, 68-62, in the semifinal round of the OAC Tournament at the Capital Center in Bexley. The Crusaders have won eight straight games, including a 67-65 victory against B-W at Ursprung last Friday (Feb. 17).
The B-W Versus Capital All-Time Series -- The Baldwin-Wallace and Capital rivalry is one of the finest small college women's basketball. B-W and Capital University have played 50 times previously in women's basketball. The Crusaders hold a 34-16 series advantage, and defeafed the Jackets', 67-65, last Friday (Feb. 17) in Berea. B-W won the two previous meetings, including a 59-54 win in Bexley on December 17, 2005 of this season and have won 16 of the past 20 games overall in the series.
The Yellow Jackets and Crusaders Both Are Ranked in Both Division III National Polls -- B-W and Capital are both ranked in both Division III national polls and in the NCAA Div. III Tournament Selection Committee Great Lakes Region poll. The only poll that really counts is the NCAA Region poll. That is the poll that helps to decide teams for next week's NCAA Tournament.
In the NCAA Region poll, B-W is ranked third and Capital is listed fourth. Depauw (Ind.) is first, Hope (Mich.) is second, Calvin (Mich.) is fifth and Franklin (Ind.) is sixth.
The Yellow Jackets were ranked 10th in Division III in both the Division III WBCA (Women's Basketball Coaches Association) and d3hoops.com Internet Web site polls on Feb. 20. Capital is ranked ninth in the WBCA poll and 11th by d3hoops.com.
The Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament -- Prior to tonight's OAC Tournament Championship Game, B-W and Capital each won twice. In the first round, B-W beat Heidelberg, 80-47, and Capital beat Ohio Northern, 59-47. In the semifinals, B-W beat Otterbein, 72-60, and Capital advanced to the title game by beating Wilmington, 68-62.
In the First Meeting This Season Between B-W and Capital: Baldwin Wallace -- 59, Capital -- 54 in the Capital Center on December 17, 2005 in Bexley, Ohio -- In the first meeting this season between B-W and Capital, on Saturday, December 17 in the Capital Center in Bexley, Ohio, the Yellow Jackets defeated the Crusaders, 59-54. Leading the way for the Yellow Jackets was senior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC point guard Nikki Altenweg (Perry) with 12 points. Junior forward Jessica Latimer (Brooklyn) and sophomore guard/forward Alyson Cotter (Salem/ Senior) each chipped in with nine points.
In the Second Meeting This Season Between B-W and Capital: Capital -- 67, Baldwin Wallace -- 65 in the Ursprung Gymnasium on February 17 in Berea, Ohio -- In the second meeting this season, the Yellow Jackets lost to Capital, 67-65, last Friday (Feb. 17) in Berea. It was B-W's only OAC loss of the regular season. Despite the loss, senior guard Nikki Altenweg had 15 points, four rebounds and three assists to lead B-W. In addition, junior forward Jessica Latimer had 13 points and six rebounds and junior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC forward Michelle White (Hudson) scored 10 points.
B-W Information and Probable Starters -- Look for Yellow Jacket veteran Head Coach Cheri Harrer to start 5'7" Nikki Altenweg at the point guard position and in the backcourt along with 5'9" Michelle White and 5'8" Amanda Mondrach. On the inside, look for 5'8" sophomore Stacia Shrider (Marietta/ Warren Local) to start alongside 6'0" senior All-OAC center Jenn Neal (Mentor). Altenweg scores a team-leading 10.8 points per game and grabs 3.7 rebounds per game. She also has a team-leading 73 assists and 66 steals and shoots 48.3 percent from three-point range and has a team-leading 28 treys. White scores 7.6 ppg. and grabs 2.9 rpg. Mondrach scores 10.3 ppg. and grabs 3.3 rpg. Shrider scores 4.7 ppg. and grabs 4.0 rpg. Neal scores 6.1 ppg., grabs 3.1 rpg. and has blocked a team-leading 17 shots.
Harrer's bench is deep, so look for 5'6" junior guard Steffani Jaworski (Parma/ Padua Fransiscan), 5'11" sophomore swing player Alyson Cotter (Salem), junior 5'8" forward Jessica Latimer (Brooklyn) and 5'10" Carly Flowers all to see action as veterans. They will be joined by 5'6" freshman guard Jessica Butzer (Orrville) and 5'8" freshman guard Leah Mottayaw (Mansfield/ Madison) and 5'5" point guard Rachael Quiring (Brunswick/ Parma Hts. Holy Name). Jaworski scores 5.0 ppg. and has 26 three-pointers Cotter scores 7.3 ppg. and grabs 3.6 rpg. Latimer scores 6.9 ppg. and grabs 3.8 rpg. and shoots 55.7 percent from the floor. Mottayaw scores 4.3 ppg. Butzer has played in the last 16 games and scores 3.3 ppg.
Scouting the Crusaders of Capital -- Look for Head Coach Dixie Jeffers to start 5'6" senior All-OAC guard Sara Heitkamp, 5'9" senior All-OAC gurad Kati Todd and 5'11" freshman Heather McAlpin in the backcourt. In the front court, look for 6'0" senior All-OAC forward Jennifer Lilly to start alongside 5'10" freshman Daniele Manalac . Heitkamp scores 18.7 ppg., grabs 6.0 rpg., has passed for 95 assists, made 96 steals and has canned 33 three-pointers. She is one of the best players in Division III. Todd scores 8.9 ppg. and tops the team with 37 three-pointers. Lilly scores 10.7 ppg. and grabs a team-leading 8.0 rpg. McAlpin scores 6.8 ppg., grabs 4.0 rpg. and tops the OAC with 34 blocked shots. Manalac scores 6.6 ppg. and grabs 3.9 rpg.
Off the bench look for Coach Jeffers to play 6'0" sophomore forward Jenna Algie, 5'6" freshman Caitlin Graessle, 5'3" point guard Lindsey Pfirman, 5'11" sophmore Tiffany Withers, and 5'3" junior Kate Leopard Algie scores 3.8 ppg., Graessle scores 3.6 ppg. Withers scores 2.2 ppg and grabs 2.8 rpg. Pfirman scores 1.3 ppg. Leopard adds 1.2 ppg.
In B-W's Last Game, OAC Semifinal Versus Otterbein College: Baldwin-Wallace -- 72, Otterbein -- 60 on February 23 in the Ursprung Gymnasium in Berea, Ohio -- In its last game, B-W defeated Otterbein College, 72-60, in the semifinal round of the OAC Tournament in the Ursprung Gym in Berea on Thursday (Feb. 23). In victory, B-W was led by sophomore guard Alyson Cotter who scored a career-high 22 points and grabbed a career-high nine rebounds and senior point guard Nikki Altenweg who tallied a career-high-tying 21 points and made five three-pointers. In addition, freshman guard Amanda Mondrach scored 14 points.
In Capital's Last Game, OAC Semifinal Versus Wilmington College: Capital -- 68, Wilmington -- 62 on February 23 in the Capital Center in Bexley, Ohio -- In its last game, Capital defeated Wilmington College, 68-62, in the semifinal round of the OAC Tournament in the Capital Center in Bexley on Thursday (Feb. 23). In victory, Capital was led by senior guard Sara Heitkamp with a game-high 27 points, seven steals and six rebounds. In addition, senior forward Jennifer Lilley scored 18 points and had 13 rebounds.
Yellow Jacket Chatter
The OAC Regular Season Title -- B-W has won six of the past eight Ohio Athletic Conference regular season titles, including three straight. This is the first OAC outright title for B-W since 2000-2001.
The Defending Champions -- B-W is the defending OAC Tournament champion. The Yellow Jackets have won four of the last seven OAC Tournament crowns, including three straight (1999, 2000 and 2001).
Ten Straight 20-Win Seasons for the Jackets -- The B-W women have 10 straight seasons with 20 or more victories. Head Coach Cheri Harrer's team is 242-43 during that time span for an amazing .851 winning percentage.
Nikki Altenweg Named ESPN MAGAZINE Academic All-District IV -- Nikki Altenweg (Perry) has been named as a second-team ESPN THE MAGAZINE Academic All-District IV player. Altenweg carries a 3.6 grade point average in mathematics and intends to teach and coach basketball following graduation. She currently stands third all-time in school history in steals with 225 and assists with 343. Altenweg also has 854 career points and 264 career rebounds.
Jenn Neal is B-W's All-Time Leader in Blocked Shots -- Senior All-OAC center Jenn Neal (Mentor) is the school's all-time leader with 99 blocked shots. Overall, Neal has 675 career points and 365 career rebounds.
Cheri Harrer is the Winningest Women's Coach in B-W History -- Yellow Jacket veteran Head Coach Cheri Harrer is the winningest women's basketball coach in B-W history with 325 victories. Harrer is 325-117 in her career with a .737 winning percentage and is in her 16th season at B-W.
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 B-W SID Kevin Ruple by phone at (440) 826-2327, by FAX at (440) 826-2329 or via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu. B-W Head Coach Cheri Harrer can be reached by phone at (440) 826-3299, by FAX at (440) 826-2192 or via e-mail at charrer@bw.edu.
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