Tigers Complete Epic Comeback to Earn Championship Game Berth

Delaware, OH - The Wittenberg Tigers traveled to Delaware to take on the nationally ranked Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops in a semifinal matchup of the 2025 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Women's Basketball Tournament. In a battle that was in Ohio Wesleyan's favor for the majority of the game, the Tigers were able to stay within striking distance before rallying in the fourth quarter to come away with a 56-54 upset win to advance to the NCAC Championship game.

In the first quarter, both teams were looking to find their rhythm, and after a rough start shooting for both teams, the Battling Bishops had a 14-9 lead. At the end of the first half, Ohio Wesleyan, which had defeated the Tigers twice during the regular season, held a nine-point lead, 34-25. The Bishops had multiple instances where they were up by 10 points or more, including a 14-point margin at one point, but the Tigers kept battling back. Riane Burton (Houston, TX / Cypress Ranch) led the Tigers at half with nine points and Jazmyn Gaines-Burns (Bladensburg, MD / Elizabeth Seton) dropped eight.

To begin the third quarter, the top-seeded Battling Bishops, who were unbeaten in the NCAC regular season for the first time in program history, continued to put the pedal to the metal. Heading into the fourth quarter, Ohio Wesleyan had a 50-37 lead and appeared to be on their way to the championship game for a second straight year after winning the league title in 2024.

That's when Wittenberg completely turned the tide. The Tigers went on a big run to start the fourth quarter, and just under halfway through, McKenna Baker (Brownsburg, IN / Bethesda Christian) converted on a four-point play to give Wittenberg all of the momentum. Through the rest of the fourth, the Battling Bishops went cold and the Tigers just continued to heat up. With 4.5 seconds remaining in the game and down two points, the Battling Bishops forced a turnover and had a last chance shot that clanged off the side of the rim and fell harmlessly to the floor. Overall, the Tigers outscored Ohio Wesleyan 19-4 in the fourth quarter. 

Team Leaders

• Burton led Wittenberg with 14 points and Gaines-Burns also finished in double-digits with 10.
• Burton paced the team in rebounds as well with eight, while Karsen Karlblom (Crystal Lake, IL / Prairie Ridge) pulled down six.
• Madi Barnett (Cinicinnati, OH / Kings) dished out four assists to lead the team and Gaines-Burns added three.
• Gaines-Burns also led the Tigers in steals with three, while Barnett logged two.

Team Comparison

• Wittenberg shot a better percentage than Ohio Wesleyan from the field, from three, and from the free throw line.
• The Tigers had 12 assists to the Battling Bishops nine, and Wittenberg led in fast break points, 9-2, and bench points, 14-3.
• Both teams finished with 30 rebounds and 14 points off turnovers.

The Tigers' next game will be the NCAC Championship, which will be hosted by Ohio Wesleyan in Delaware, Ohio. Wittenberg, the No. 5 seed after finishing in a three-way tie for third place in the regular season NCAC standings, will take second-seeded DePauw at 4:00 PM at historic Branch Rickey Arena. DePauw won both regular season meetings between the two teams.