Box Score Greencastle, Ind. - Third-ranked DePauw held Ohio Wesleyan to 10 second-half points and advanced to the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament championship game with a 62-38 semifinal win over the Battling Bishops. The Tigers, 26-1 and winners of 22 straight, face Denison in tomorrow's 4 p.m. title game after the Big Red topped Ohio Wesleyan, 60-52, in the evening's other semifinal contest. Ohio Wesleyan finished its season at 14-13.
The Battling Bishops led by as many as eight in the opening quarter including a 17-9 margin at the quarter break as DePauw shot just 26.7 percent from the floor. DePauw quickly closed to within one with a 7-0 run in the opening 2:31 of the second, but Ohio Wesleyan pushed it back to six at 24-18. Natalie Kehrt's bucket near the end of the half closed the Battling Bishops lead to 28-26.
DePauw took the lead for good in the third with an 8-0 run before Ohio Wesleyan got its first points of the half with 3:03 remaining in the third. The Tigers scored the final six points of the frame for a 40-32 advantage as the teams headed to the intermission.
A 7-0 DePauw stretch to start the third extended the lead to 47-32 as the Tigers outscored the Battling Bishops, 22-6, in the final quarter.
Sydney Kopp led DePauw with 18 points, and three steals and broke Cassie Pruzin's DePauw career record of 234 3-pointers, while Hayley Cange added 10 points. Claire Keefe and Campbell Montgomery each hauled down eight rebounds in the win and Grace Kinsey dished out six assists.
Claire Sterling paced Ohio Wesleyan with nine points and Cierra Joiner grabbed 10 rebounds.
DePauw finished with 36.5 percent shooting from the field to Ohio Wesleyan's 26.9 percent and the Tigers held a 47-33 edge on the boards. DePauw committed just eight turnovers to the Battling Bishops' 15.
In the second semifinal contest, Wittenberg led by as many as nine in the third and were ahead, 44-36, after three quarters. Denison outscored the Tigers, 24-8, over the final 10 minutes and held Wittenberg to just one field goal over the final three minutes while closing the game on a 12-3 run.
Zyah Beal led Denison with 14 points, while Lauren Hofer and Alison Schafer each had eight rebounds. Korynne Berner paced Wittenberg with 16 points with Delaney Willliams grabbing eight rebounds and handing out six assists.
This Freaky Fast postgame report is sponsored by Jimmy John's in Greencastle, Indiana.
