UW-Whitewater lost 87-78 to host Wooster College in Wooster, Ohio Saturday night in the second round of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III championship tournament. The Warhawks end the season 23-6 and Wooster, 25-5, advances to the final sixteen teams for a sectional matchup with Guilford College Friday, March 12. See Warhawk Championship Central
box score
Whitewater quickly went up 5-0, and were up 10-4 at 16:55 on a Chris Vines (Milwaukee/Washington) three pointer for what would prove to be the largest lead of the game for the Warhawks. Wooster took its first lead of the game at 13:05 on a pair of free throws by junior guard Ian Franks, the North Coast Athletic Conferece Player of the Year. Whitewater regained the lead on a Dupree Fletcher (Milwaukee/Rufus King) jumper to make it 21-18 Whitewater. After another jumper by Franks and one by freshman forward Josh Claytor the Scots were back in front for good. Franks scored 16 of the Scots' first 20 points. Wooster eventually led by nine in the half, 40-31 with 1:15 left, before the teams went in to the locker rooms with Wooster leading 40-34.
Wooster came out of the locker room with a 7-0 run for a 47-35 lead. The Scots inched the lead up, taking advantage of UW-W losing Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year Dustin Mitchell (Lac Du Flambeau/Lakeland) to fouls at 4:37, eventually leading 74-58 with 3:48 left. That would normally be the end of the story, but UW-W called on the reserve that saw them come from behind in their first round win over Defiance College Friday night.
Wooster still lead 80-71 with 1:24 left, but Whitewater senior forward Mike Bendall (Oconomowoc/Oconomowoc) stole the ball and made a layup to make it 80-73 at 1:16. As the Scots brought the ball downcourt Dupree Fletcher (Milwaukee/Rufus King) stole the ball and hit a three pointer to squeeze the Wooster margin to 80-76 with 1:10 remaining. Sophomore guard Matt Fegan made two free throws at 1:05 to make it a six point bulge, but junior guard D.J. Dantzler put an offensive rebound back in to cut it back to four, 82-78 with 0:49. Whitewater missed all four of the shots in the waning seconds, and Wooster went 5-6 from the line.
Wooster made a living at the line. The Scots made 35 of 43 attempts, Whitewater 15-27. Whitewater made more field goals, 29 to 23, and had five fewer turnovers, but neither could make up the free throw deficit.
Whitewater had four double figure scores, with Fletcher scoring 20, Dantlzer 18, Mitchell 14 and Bendall 13. Mitchell added nine rebounds before fouling out, and Fletcher passed for four assists. Bendall led UW-W with three steals.
Wooster also had four in double figures, Franks leading the way with 30, followed by senior guard Brandon Johnson's 15, 15 from junior guard Nathan Balch, and 10 from sophomore forward Justin Hallowell. Balch led the game with 11 rebounds, and Johnson was tops with five steals. Franks went 10-16 from the field and 9-10 from the line.
For additional information: Pat Miller, UW-W coach
