SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - A three-point play by senior Katelyn Haralamos (Maineville, Ohio/Kings) with 19 seconds left in the game broke a 68-68 deadlock and propelled the Wittenberg Tigers to a 73-70 win over Hanover in the championship game of the 2014 Charles B. Zimmerman Memorial Classic.
Haralamos' heroics came just 14 seconds after Hanover had tied the game on a three-point play by Jessie Davidson. After Wittenberg took the lead, Hanover's Alicia Hopkins hit a short jumper, but senior Enri Small (Columbus, Ohio/Columbus School for Girls) was clutch with a pair of free throws with seven seconds remaining that restored the Tigers' three-point lead.
The win was Wittenberg's fourth in a row, and it pushed the Tigers' record overall record to 9-3. Nine wins in the first 12 games is the best start for Wittenberg since the 2001-02 season.
The Tigers, who defeated Mount St. Joseph on the opening day of the Zimmerman Classic, shot 41.5 percent from the field in the game, compared to 41.7 for Hanover, who hit 8-of-17 from three-point range. However, the Panthers missed their last five three-point attempts in the game.
Both teams committed 19 turnovers in the game, but Wittenberg held a commanding 45-35 rebounding advantage, including a whopping 19 at the offensive end. Haralamos shared game honors in the rebounding department with junior Ali Miller (Cincinnati, Ohio/McNicholas) with eight.
Haralamos was named the Tournament MVP for her performance, including a game-high 23 points after leading the Tigers with 22 in the first round game. She also added four assists while playing 37 minutes in the game.
Small added 19 points, six rebounds and four steals, while senior Darbie Zirkle (St. Paris, Ohio/Graham) also came up big for the Tigers with 16 points and four rebounds. Small joined Haralamos on the all-tournament team.
Written By: Ryan Maurer