Kenyon College (3-13, 6-19) entered Tuesday’s NCAC quarterfinal as the No. 8 seed. While the Lords nearly pulled an upset of the Scots on their home floor in early December,  Kenyon had since lost 15 of their last 18 and were expected to be a slight speed bump on the Scots’ trip to host the NCAC semifinals. The Lords, however, missed the memo.

Despite the Scots’ hot perimeter shooting, Kenyon hung in the game for much of the first half. While the Scots continued to knock down threes, the inside play of forward Dave Knapke kept the game close. With just under five minutes remaining, the Lords cut the Scots’ lead to a just a bucket, 31-29. After calling a timeout, the Scots used a 10-3 run to go into halftime ahead 41-32.

After halftime, the Scots’ post defense tightened up and challenged Knapke inside. As Knapke struggled, so did Kenyon’s offense — hitting just 8-of-25 from the field in the second half. The Scots maintained a double-digit lead for most of the second half to sew up a drama-free victory.

The biggest factor for the Scots was their perimeter shooting. The Scots knocked down 13-of-23 from behind the arc. In the last three games, the Scots have now hit 35-of-69 from downtown — a staggering 51 percent.

Guard Ian Franks ’11 led all scorers with 25 points while also grabbing eight rebounds. Guard Nathan Balch ’11 added 13 points and guard Matt Fegan ’12 chipped in 12 points off the bench. Altogether, the trio was 10-of-14 behind the arc.

While Kenyon held its own inside, Wooster still won the battle on the glass — pulling down 34 rebounds to the Lords’ 28. Bryan Wickliffe ’11 led the Scots with nine rebounds. While Wickliffe had posted four double-doubles in his last six games, the 6-5 forward was held to six points against Kenyon. Much of Wickliffe’s energy was spent on the defensive end guarding Knapke, where he performed admirably. While Knapke did score 15 points, he was held to just 5-of-14 shooting from the floor.

With the win, the Scots will now turn their attention to the semi-final and championship rounds of the NCAC Tournament, which they will host for the sixth consecutive year. The Scots will host No. 5 seeded Ohio Wesleyan University, which punched its ticket to the Timken Gymnasium with a 73-59 victory Tuesday over Allegheny College.

The Battling Bishops will be making their second trip to Wooster in less than a week and a half. In their last meeting with the Bishops on Feb. 17, the Scots pulled away with dead-on outside shooting. The Scots hit 11-of-15 from behind the arc to go up 57-41 at halftime, eventually cruising 94-78. Mike Evans ’12 provided a big spark off the bench, hitting all five shots from downtown for 15 first-half points.

Wing player Tim Brady has emerged as the Bishops’ leading scorer. Brady poured in 27 points on Feb. 17, and scored 27 in the Bishops’ quarterfinal win over Allegheny. The Scots’ number one objective on defense will be to limit Brady offensively.

The Bishops are one of the few teams that can match the Scots’ size and depth inside. The Bishops have three solid post players inside with Marshall Morris, Pat Pellerite and Brent Pleiman. The Scots will need contributions from their four-man post rotation of Wickliffe, Josh Claytor ’13, Jake Mays ’13 and Justin Hallowell ’12.

The Scots are expected to receive a big lift with Hallowell’s return. After missing four straight games with an ankle injury, Hallowell is expected to return to the court for the first time since Feb. 10 in a win over Hiram College. This season, Hallowell has not knocked down shots from long range with the frequency that he did as a first-year — his three-point field goal percentage has dropped to 35 percent after hitting 51 percent last season. Hallowell, however, remains a constant threat from behind the arc that teams have to account for. His presence on the perimeter keeps opposing defenses honest. In the loss to Wittenberg University two weeks ago, the Tigers’ defense collapsed on Franks and Balch each time the two drove to the paint without the threat of Hallowell on the outside. The sophomore’s return will be a welcome addition for the entire team.

The early semi-final game will feature No. 2 seeded Wabash College and No. 3 seeded Wittenberg University. Wittenberg is the only NCAC team to beat the Scots this season. After Wittenberg’s big win over the Scots, the Tigers promptly blew an 11-point lead at home to the Little Giants and lost 72-69.

The Giants swept the season series over the Tigers. The Giants will be led by athletic swingman Wes Smith, who scored 21 points in the Giants’ 73-54 quarterfinal victory over No. 7 seeded Denison University.

The Tigers, meanwhile, steamrolled their way to the next round of the NCAC Tournament with an 85-62 win over No. 6 seeded Hiram College. Wittenberg will have to hope that the third time is the charm against the Giants. The Tigers will rely on hot perimeter shooting from Chris Sullivan and Josh McKee.

Wittenberg, surprisingly, will be making its first trip to the NCAC semi-final round in three years. The Tigers have been upset in the quarterfinal round each of the past two seasons. In the 2007 NCAC Tournament, the Tigers reached the semis but fell to Ohio Wesleyan University 57-52. The Tigers and Scots last met in the NCAC Tournament in the 2006 NCAC Championship, where the Tigers escaped with a 61-59 win on the Scots’ home floor.

If the Scots beat the Bishops, it will set up an intriguing NCAC finals, regardless of whether Wabash or Wittenberg wins the other semi-final game. If Wabash wins, it will set up a rematch of the 2009 NCAC Championship, where the Scots won 84-72 with a 34-point explosion from Hallowell. The two teams also met in the 2008 NCAC Tournament, when Wabash stunned the Scots 87-63 in the semi-final round.

If the Tigers win, there are enough subplots to fill a 60 Minutes segment. The Scots would be looking to avenge their humbling loss two weeks ago to the Tigers. Wittenberg, meanwhile, would be looking to clinch their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2006, when they reached the national championship. The game would be a must-win for the Scots. Despite a 21-6 record and challenging schedule, the Scots are not assured of at an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. They need to win the tournament to ensure that their season continued next weekend in the NCAA Tournament.

While the Red Cross-sponsored Blood Battle may have technically ended two weeks ago, all four semi-final teams will be out for blood and fighting for their post-season lives this weekend. A war has officially been declared.

The Scots (11-15, 8-8 NCAC) trailed the Ladies (17-9, 8-7 NCAC) throughout the entire game.  The Scots’ late comeback came with two minutes left and the team trailing by six (48-42), but ultimately fell short as their hopes of further playoff action were dashed by just one point in the end.

The Ladies blazed past the Scots in the opening minutes of the game, grabbing three steals against Wooster and building a 6-0 lead.  Baskets by Kym Wenz ’10 and Jessica Wingen ’13 pulled the Scots within four (8-4), but Kenyon retaliated with a 7-0 run that put them ahead 15-4 in the first eight minutes of the game.

Wooster responded by outscoring Kenyon over the last 11 minutes of action in the half, with three-pointers by Wenz on assists by Samantha Justice ’12, a three-ball by Colleen Goodwillie ’10 to cut their deficit to 26-22.

As Kenyon increased their lead before the half, Kaitlin Krister ’10 scored on a Taylor Keegan ’11 assist to bring the Scots within five points (29-24) going into the half.

Keshia Butler ’12 rallied for the Scots in the opening minutes of the second half, converted at the hoop and assisted Krister. However, Kenyon steadily began to increase their lead over Wooster, reaching an 11-point advantage (39-28), the largest of the game.

Several minutes later, Wingen began a 7-0 run for Wooster, bringing the Scots within four (39-35) with eight minutes remaining in the game.  Goodwillie responded to a Kenyon three with her own to keep the Scots in the contest.

In the final minutes of the game, the Scots rallied behind Wenz, who scored on a three-pointer on an assist from Goodwillie, who later assisted Wingen to bring Wooster within one (48-47).  Wingen then blocked a Kenyon shot that was rebounded by Goodwillie, and the Scots called a timeout with seven seconds on the clock.

Coming out of the timeout, the team left its top two point guards, Butler and Samantha Justice ’12 on the bench. Priscilla Staples ’11 was unable to get the ball to the All-American Wenz. Staples instead inbounded the ball to Goodwillie, who forced up a contested three-pointer. The shot hit the front of the rim and bounced out as time expired, ending the team’s chances of advancing to the semi-final round for the first time in over 10 years.

In the remaining seconds, the Scots attempted one last basket, but came up short, ending their season.

Wooster shot 19-of-42 from the field and outrebounded Kenyon 34-of-28 for the night, a statistic that has been critical in Wooster this season.  The biggest difference was at the charity stripe, where the Scots went 4-of-11 while the Ladies were 14-of-20.

Wenz led the scoring with 17 points, and Wingen had 10 points and went 5-of-10 for shooting.  Goodwillie had eight points, three rebounds and three assists.

Wooster’s earlier three-game winning streak was cut short last Friday in an 81-61 loss to North Coast Athletic Conference team Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio.  The Battling Bishops (18-6, 13-2 NCAC) went on a 15-2 run in the opening minutes of the game that the Scots (10-14, 7-8 NCAC) were never able to overcome.

Kristen Schwartz ’12 connected on Wooster’s only basket in the first six minutes of the game that put them behind by 13. Krister then scored and drew a free throw to bring them within 10 (15-5), but Ohio Wesleyan continued to overwhelm Wooster and led by as much as 21 (40-19) with just under five minutes in the half.

Wooster finished the first half with a 12-2 run, with five points coming from Butler  to cut Ohio Wesleyan’s lead to nine (42-33).

The Scots drew upon the momentum that closed out the first half and opened the second half with another 12-2 run, with Wenz making back-to-back shots and offering an assist to Butler to put Wooster within one (48-47) with 14 minutes to go in the game.

The Battling Bishops regained their dominance and closed the game with a 33-14 run, leading by as much as 24 and finishing 20 points ahead of the Scots (81-61).  Ohio Wesleyan made good use of its free-throw opportunities, going 12-of-16, while Wooster went 4-of-7.

Krister led Wooster’s play with a solid 11 points, eight rebounds, six assists and six blocks.  Her season total blocks now stand at 55, making her one of seven players in Wooster’s history to reach 50 or more blocked shots in one season.  Wenz went 6-of-8 from the field and had 17 points and five boards.  Keegan added six points, five rebounds and three assists.

The next day Wooster traveled to Richmond, Indiana to face the Quakers in their second NCAC match-up of the season.  The Scots trailed by as much as 13 points in the first half and took their first lead on a 13-5 run that opened the second half to finish Earlham’s season in a 72-69 win.

Wenz and Earlham’s Nikki Darrett traded three-pointers to start the game, but the Quakers went on a 10-2 run against the Scots.  Wooster drew within two points several times on a jumper by Keegan (18-16) and a lay up by Krister (22-20) with six minutes left in the first half.  To finish the stanza, the Quakers added 11 unanswered points to give them a 13-point lead (33-20).  Baskets by Wenz and Samantha Justice ’12 brought the Scots within eight (37-29) to close out the half.

Krister connected with Schwartz to start the second half, bringing the Scots within four (37-33). Wingen scored minutes later off an assist from Keegan, and Wenz scored with an assist from Justice to tie the game 42-42 with just over 13 minutes left to play.

Over the next seven minutes the Scots went on a 20-9 run to move ahead of the Quakers by 13 (64-51).  Earlham responded with a 17-4 run over the next five minutes to tie the game 68.  Krister scored two baskets to put the Scots ahead by one (70-69) and Schwartz added two more points on free throws to seal Wooster’s win.

Wenz led the team’s scoring with 24 points and 8-of-14 shooting, including four three-pointers.  Krister had 18 points, 12 boards and four blocks, moving her into third on the all-time single-season list with 59.  Keegan had 12 points and four assists, while Justice had eight.

In other NCAC Tournament games, Wittenberg University defeated Hiram College in a 59-43 contest, Ohio Wesleyan University overcame Oberlin College in a close match (62-56) and Denison University dominated Allegheny College 80-58.

Wittenberg will host both tournament games tonight.  Denison will play Ohio Wesleyan tonight at 6 p.m. and Kenyon will face Wittenberg at 8 p.m.  The championship game will be at Wittenberg tomorrow at 7 p.m.

Midway through the NBA season, teams struggle to assert themselves as title contenders. The top trades in the Association left some teams feeling like winners and some feeling even more lost.

Eastern Conference

Winner: Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavs significantly improved the depth and talent in their frontcourt with the addition of Antawn Jamison. Cleveland hoped to aquire Amar’e Stoudemire from the Phoenix Suns, but Jamison will prove to be just as successful as a complement to LeBron James.

Jamison allows the Cavs to put yet another scoring threat on the court with James, drawing more defensive attention and freeing up role players such as Mo Williams, Anderson Varejao and Delonte West to see a more active offensive role. The small line up that the Cavs present with Varejao, West, Williams, Jamison and James will be utterly destructive against the older Boston Celtics and the less athletic Orlando Magic.

While the Cavs were forced to give up Zydrunas Ilgauskas in acquiring Jamison, but Cleveland improved at the power forward position and gave up nearly nothing in return.

Loser: Washington Wizards

The Wizards cleaned house, sending five players elsewhere in return for expiring contracts and Josh Howard. It only got worse for Washington when Monday night, Howard tore his anterior crucia ligament in his left knee.

By shipping off almost all of their players of substance and having Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittendon suspended by the league for a locker room showdown, the Wizards were left with a roster of depleted talent. The Howard injury and the fact that Ilgauskas and Mike James are seeking to be bought out of their contracts have left the Wizards with only 10 active players on their roster.

At this point tickets to the team’s remaining home games could not be given away, unless the Dallas Mavericks and former Wizards Brendan Haywood and Caron Butler came to the nation’s capital.

Minor Upgrade: Boston Celtics

The Celtics felt the need to make a move at the trade deadline in hopes of aquiring a back-up point guard to lessen the burden on emerging star Rajon Rondo. For a while veteran leader Ray Allen was said to be a player on his way out of Boston, but ultimately all-purpose guard Eddie House was sent to the New York Knicks in return for three-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion, Nate Robinson. The Celtics looked to create a spark offensively with the addition of Robinson, but sacrificed defense and chemistry in dealing House.

Ultimately, this trade will not be significant enough to push the Celtics back into title contention in the East.

Western Conference

Winner: Dallas Mavericks

Brendan Haywood and Caron Butler, who were added to an already talented Dallas team from the Wizards, may prove to be the two most important players in the Mavericks’ playoff push in the West.

Haywood improves the Dallas defense which lacked depth and consistency at the center position. Butler is a solid secondary scoring threat behind Dirk Nowitzki and an upgrade at the small forward position over Josh Howard.

The Mavs started undefeated (4-0) since adding Butler and Haywood. The improvement in the frontcourt will help Dallas become serious contenders in the Western Conference with the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets.

Loser: Los Angeles Clippers

The addition of small forward Travis Outlaw and guard Steve Blake from the Portland Trailblazers makes almost no sense for the Clippers who are struggling to find success in the highly competitive Pacific division.

The solid core of Chris Kaman, Baron Davis and Corey Maggette is almost enough to keep the Clippers hopes alive in the playoff hunt, but sending defensive veteran Marcus Camby to the Blazers restricts the team defensively and makes Portland more of a contender.

The Clippers, who share the Staples Center with the Lakers, got worse defensively in losing Camby and added only supplemental players in the mediocre Blake and unproven Outlaw.

Promising Future: Houston Rockets

The Rockets are in a position to be considered a trade winner, but the lack of focus on immediate improvement leaves them in the questionable category.

In being able to get rid of Tracy McGrady and his enormous contract the Rockets are in good position looking to the future.

In a three-team deal Houston was able to steal young talent from the Sacramento Kings, adding Kevin Martin to a developing squad. Martin has shown the potential to be an elite scoring threat, and the Rockets hope he develops into the backcourt complement of Aaron Brooks going forward.

The team was forced to give up Carl Landry in the deal, but they are hopeful the upside of Martin outweighs the loss of Landry, a solid young forward who ended up in Sacramento.

The moves made by teams on the verge of postseason success will prove to have a lasting impact in the remainder of the season. While Wizard and Clippers fans will mourn their losses, Cleveland emerges as the team to beat in the East and Dallas will shake up the power rankings out West.

Wooster earned a 2-1 lead with a pair of doubles victories with Matt Hoch ’12 and Ethan Arenstein ’11 at No. 1 and Matt Mandell ’12 and Brad Palanski ’11 at No. 3 with both pairs winning 8-6.

Hoch added a singles victory in the No. 1 position, winning 6-7 (5-7), 6-3 and 7-5.  Mandell won 6-2, 6-0 at No. 4 singles and Palanski, who won in a tie-breaker in the No. 5 spot with 6-7 (7-3), 7-5, 1-0 (10-8).  Steve Conroy ’10 swept past his competition with 6-3, 6-1 in the third singles spot.

The men swept Otterbein 9-0 last Wednesday in their first match of the season at the Central Tennis and Fitness Club.  The win included a decisive 6-0, 6-2 win at No. 1 singles by Hoch.  Conroy contributed at the No. 2 spot winning the final tie-breaker with 6-3, 6-2 and 10-5.

Hoch and Arenstein earned a decisive 8-3 win at No. 1 singles, and Conroy and Ashvin Reddy ’13 won 8-5 in the No. 2 spot.  A team of Mandell and Palanski won 8-1 in doubles and in singles at No. 3 (6-4, 6-0) and No. 5 (6-3, 6-0), respectively.

Reddy won 7-5, 6-0 in the No. 4 spot for singles and Sam Susanin ’13 was consistent in the No. 6 spot, winning 6-1, 6-1.

The women faced Otterbein in their season opener on Saturday and lost in a 9-0 defeat in Westerville, Ohio.  Elissa Lauber ’10 (2-6, 1-6) and Erin Bauer ’10 (1-6, 2-6) were solid in their play at No. 1 and No. 4 singles, respectively.

Bauer and Suzi Hamby ’11 teamed up for No. 3 doubles and almost overcame their opponents in a 9-8 (7-4) loss. Sixth-year head coach Lori Schulman hopes the team can achieve a record of .500 or better this season with her most experienced roster. The women will host Malone University (0-1) tomorrow at 3 p.m.

After a phenomenal 2008 season in which a great senior class led the Scots to an 11-3 record, a less experienced team entered a rebuilding stage of sorts in 2009 where the program once again just missed the playoffs, finishing 7-6.

A great start to the 2009 season had the Scots hoping to reach their goal of an NCAA playoff berth, but some tough losses in the last two weeks of the season kept the team outside looking in once again.

This year brings new optimism. Head coach Jason Tarnow’s Scots are ready to improve upon last season’s early success, and develop into a team with playoff expectations for years to come. Last season’s young squad should benefit from a year’s more experience in starting roles for the Scots.

It won’t be an easy road for Wooster, which saw many senior four-year contributors graduate including their top-scorer, Mark Weschler ’09 (29 goals, 12 assists, 41 points overall).  This season features a younger team with just five seniors on the roster.

Tarnow believes his team will be able to improve throughout the season and compete for a conference championship. “We were close to making the playoffs last year, but just fell short. We have a young team, and this isn’t just coach talk, I believe we can develop and improve with every day of practice and every game.”

With a balanced offense led by Pat Coyne ’10 and Alex Mies ’10, the Scots remain optimistic about improving from last season’s disappointment. Dan MacVarish ’10 and Casey McGann ’12 will look to become scoring threats at attack similar to Weschler.

Matt Pullera ’11 will be key in the offensive success in the midfield and at the face off spot. Amongst the midfielders Pullera will be assested defensively by Graham Zimmerman ’11 who will be heavily relied on in clearing the defensive end and creating offense.

A defensive unit anchored by goalie Corey McGann ’12 and Ryan Story ’10 will look to finish strong and earn a bid to the NCAA Div. III Tournament this May.

“The defense is really experienced this year with all the starters coming back. Even with the threats on offense, I think we will lean on the defense more than last season,” Story said.

This season comes with the excitement of the summer renovations of John P. Papp stadium, where lights and Sprinturf were installed. “It’s always exciting to play at home in the stadium,” Tarnow said, “and now it’ll be even more exciting as this year we will play some of the first night games in our program’s history.” The two night games this season will be played against Denison University on March 27 and the College of Mount St. Joseph on March 31.

The Fighting Scots were set to open their season last Friday against Mount Saint Joseph, but due to snow, the game was postponed until March 31. The team is confident that the field will be in playable condition by this coming Monday, as the Scots have moved the game against Albion College to March. 1 at 1 p.m.

MY: Did you expect the immediate individual success you are experiencing early in your collegiate career?

AB-A: Not really, I just came in knowing that I need to try my best. The results are just a product of that, and I’m really happy about the success.

MY: You are one of 15 first-years on the team, how much will your class contribute to the success of team?

AB-A: Our class has been doing really well. We have two girls from the soccer team as well as a strong thrower. We are all really close and that really helps us do well. I think we will have a lot of success this season and throughout our four years.

MY: How has the leadership of the team benefited your early success? What role has upperclassmen guidance played in your transition?

AB-A: I benefited from KateLynn Riley ’10 who is a hurdler, and Jon Mathis ’10 who is a jumper. It has really helped to have these two upperclassmen with me all the time. The other captains have been really good about being there for support.

MY: You have consistently jumped in the 1.5 meter range so far. When you look to the end of spring season and the NCAC Championship meet is there a height at which you hope to be jumping?

AB-A: I would like to get back to my personal record from high school that was 5’8”.  I’m hoping to get to that, and maybe more. I can’t wait until outdoor season when we have our own track and I’ll be able to get a lot more practice.

MY: You have won the high jump competition in all four of the meets you have competed in. How long do you think this streak can continue?

AB-A: I hope to keep the streak going all through indoor season and through the spring as well. I don’t like losing so it’s hard for me to say.

MY: Having seen the competition you will be facing and knowing what you can expect from your opponents, are you confident that you can complete the season undefeated in the high jump?

AB-A: I feel like it’s better to have a lot of competition because it keeps me wanting to achieve my goals. There are a lot of girls that are good — we’re all around the same height with our jumps so it comes down to executing on early attempts. I think it is good to have competition, but I’m confident that I can keep the number one spot.

MY: The goal for the team is a strong performance at the conference meet in the spring. What are your predictions for the team this year and what are your individual goals for the season?

AB-A: The team is going to do very well. Our relay teams have been dropping their times in every meet so far and individuals are consistently improving. For the team, our main goal is to win conference and beyond that to just continue to get better. Personally, I would love to win the high jump in the conference and make it to the NCAA Div. III Championships as well.

The win marked Wooster’s first victory over Wittenberg (16-7, 14-1 NCAC) since Feb. 17, 2007 and improved the Scots’ (10-13, 7-7 NCAC) standings with just two conference games until the NCAC tournament.  The win put the Scots ahead of Allegheny College (9-13, 6-7 NCAC) in conference standings and a game between Allegheny and Denison University (15-7, 7-6 NCAC) will determine Wooster’s final ranking.

The game opened with a three-pointer by Colleen Goodwillie ’10 on an assist by Kristen Schwartz ’12.  The Scots kept a small lead until the Tigers tied the game at 8-8.  Wittenberg eclipsed Wooster with a 18-17 lead with 10 minutes left in the first half, but the Scots retaliated with a 13-3 run, which included two three-balls by Wenz to give Wooster a 10-point advantage (30-20) with six minutes remaining.

In the next three minutes, Wittenberg dominated the court with an 11-0 run to take the lead by one (31-30).  Just before halftime, Jessica Wingen ’13 added two lay ups and a pair of free throws to give Wooster the advantage at the half (38-33).

The Tigers opened the half with six unanswered points to again claim a lead of one (39-38), but the Scots went on a 12-2 run with Wenz and Wingen scoring a combined 10  points.  Schwartz converted a basket after receiving an assist by Taylor Keegan ’11 to see the Scots lead by 10 again (52-42).  Wooster held onto its lead, extending it to as much as 13 throughout the remainder of the game.

Wingen contributed to the Scots’ dominance with a career-high 14 points and was 6-of-9 from the field, while Schwartz was 5-for-5 with 11 points.  Statistically, Wooster was at its best going 28-of-54 and limiting Wittenberg to 31 percent shooting on the night.

Wooster’s rescheduled match against Ohio Wesleyan University (16-6, 11-2 NCAC) was once again postponed due to inclement weather. The game is rescheduled for tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Delaware, Ohio. The Scots finish the weekend at Earlham University (3-20, 2-12 NCAC) tomorrow at 3 p.m.

Just one day earlier at the Kenyon Invitational, the Scots were led by Sarah Appleton ’12 and Kelsie Herring ’12 who won the 5,000- and 1,000-meter events, respectively. Colleen O’Neil ’13 finished second behind Appleton, and Miriam Wise ’11 took home second-place honors in Friday’s long jump.

The men’s track and field team finished in the bottom half in the All-Ohio Championships this past Saturday, but according to Jon Mathis ’10, the Scots are right where they want to be. Mathis emphasized that the team’s “ultimate goal is [an] outdoor conference championship, and I think we are definitely on pace.”

The men were led by the jumping of Eric Dyer ’10, the running of Brian Albani ’10 and the throwing of Josh Kime ’11. Dyer’s impressive performance in the triple jump (43 feet 3 inches) earned him third-place in a field of 14 competitors. Albani completed the 55-meter hurdles in an impressive 7.82 seconds, earning fourth overall, while Kime recorded a 14th place finish in the shot put.

The team finished 16th in the field of 19 teams, but Albani is hopeful. “We’re getting better and progressing nicely. We’re right on track to do well in conference,” he said. Mathis stressed that the team has not reached its potential and that  success is a process with the goal being a conference championship in the spring.

Albani wasn’t pleased with the fourth-place finish but said, “I can live with that. I’m getting closer and I’m working at it.”

Friday the Scots took to the track in the Kenyon invitational, a non-scoring meet which gave them early season experience and competition. Wooster recorded three top finishes Friday with Julian Mangano ’10 winning the 500-meter race, Rob McConnell ’10 earning first in the pole vault and Robert Flagg ’12 leading the pack in the long jump.

The indoor season continues tomorrow as the teams return to Gambier, Ohio for the Kenyon Classic.

5. Shawn Merriman

Merriman makes the list because of his ability to incorporate his “lights out” light switch tattoo into his celebrations.  After every sack (which are few and far between now that he is off the juice), Merriman celebrates by “flicking” the light switch on his arm. Adding to the somewhat odd tattoo is the hand that is turning out the lights.  It looks as if it had been drawn by a third grader who had too much fun with a Sharpie after sniffing it. Honestly, it’s hard to say what’s more embarrassing — the fact that there is an odd home appliance on his arm or that one of the guys from “The Hills Have Eyes” is turning it off. Also, based on Tila Tequila’s example, we might not want to upset him by “leaving him off.”

4. Allen Iverson

Although more famous for redefining “practice” for the rest of the sporting world, AI falls into the fourth slot for his censored back tattoo.  He chose to have the acronym “FAME” inked onto his back, which is no surprise seeing as his ego is larger than Octomom’s diaper bill. In case you didn’t know what it stood for, that was added underneath — “F@#? All My Enemies.” Yes, he had his own tattoo censored.  A piece of art that is hidden beneath your jersey, only seen when you want it to be seen, and with a message as blunt as this, and AI chooses to blur out what the word actually is? AI, you disappoint us.

3. Udonis Haslem

Haslem simply has a tattoo on his back that has the entire state of Florida. This serves a practical function for times when he’s incredibly intoxicated, or just plain lost. Other than that, this thing is utterly ridiculous. What if Haslem gets traded from his current team, the Miami Heat to a team outside of Florida? Except for maybe Tim Tebow, we don’t think anyone is actually that proud to be from Florida; except for maybe Flo-rida. He’s still cool, right?

2. Dennis Rodman

Any time you talk about weird and random anything in the world of sports, you have to include Rodman.  The man made a living off of being “that guy,” doing everything from wearing a wedding dress to promote his own autobiography, to changing his hair color more than Senator Lieberman would change his stance on politics. What is possibly the most absurd part about him is his full back tattoo, which, to put it incredibly lightly, pictures a naked female figure doing some very graphic things with a part of her own body that isn’t naturally there. Oh, and she also has angel wings. It is horrifying. This picture should have relieved Michael Jackson of the title for “Craziest person of the 1990s.” But then again, it is Dennis Rodman, so what should we expect?

1. Chris “Birdman” Andersen

Where to start? As the only white guy on our list, you wouldn’t think he’d make number one. However, he earns the number one spot simply because he’s the biggest badass here. After being expelled from the NBA for “drug violations,” Anderson was reinstated and helped the Thuggets — err, Nuggets in the playoffs. His signature celebration, simply titled the “Birdman,” has him wave his hands around and flap like a bird. This is cool and all, but what makes it better is the wings he has tattooed on his arms.  And shoulders. And back. Essentially, everywhere on his body. Also, his hairstyle is a dual mullet/mohawk hybrid. That in itself makes Andersen worthy of a number one spot.

Honorable Mention

Mike Tyson

Charles Barkley warned that you shouldn’t start a confrontation with a guy who has a face tattoo. Tyson is that guy. His tribal tattoo adds to his intimidation factor. Also, this is the same guy who owns a tiger and rocks out to Phil Collins. And helped win a Golden Globe. That’s good enough for sixth.

As expected, Saturday’s crowd of more than 2,800 was the biggest of the season. The student section was filled 30 minutes before tip-off. They welcomed the Wittenberg team with a chorus of boos. From the outset, though, Wittenberg controlled the tempo and silenced the home crowd.

Unlike in previous years, the regular season championship wasn’t at stake in this match up. The Scots had already won the conference title, reserving Timken Gymnasium on Feb. 26-27 for the NCAC Tournament. For the Tigers, all that was on the line was a share of second-place. The Tigers had lost four straight to the Scots, with their last win in the series on Jan. 19, 2008. The Tigers had nothing to play for but pride — which they fought tooth and nail for.

The Tigers came in with a level of energy and intensity that the Scots hadn’t seen all season. The Tigers’ defense was stingier than the tuition collectors in the Business Office, collapsing on the Scots’ perimiter players  every time they drove to the hole. While the Scots closed within 18-16 about halfway through the opening period, the Tigers went on a 19-7 run to close the half with a 37-23 lead — the Scots had been chased off their home floor faster than Conan O’Brien from NBC studios.

On paper, the Scots should have been able put this one away. They were riding a 13-game winning streak and had won 22 straight conference contests. All aspects came together for them — the outside shooters were finally heating up, the perimeter defense was locking down opponents  and the post players were dominating in the paint. The biggest home crowd of the season had showed up to give the team an extra edge.

Emblematic of a true rivalry game, none of those factors mattered Saturday. Wittenberg played its best game of the entire season. While the Scots had more talent on the floor, they couldn’t match the energy and intensity that Wittenberg demonstrated. The Tigers’ exhaustive press double-teamed Ian Franks ’11 and Nathan Balch ’11 every time either of the guards penetrated in the paint. Once the Scots got out of sync early, they were unable to find their focus. The Scots’ inability to hold onto the ball played a decisive factor in the upset — the Tigers won the turnover battle 18-7.

So much emphasis is placed on the difficulty of winning on the road. Before Saturday’s game, Franks hinted that a raucous opposing crowd can actually motivate the visiting team. It showed on Saturday. Wittenberg seemed to feed off the hostile student section, intent on disappointing almost 3,000 fans. With 11 minutes left in the game, the Tigers led by a score of 58-35. While the Scots found their rhythm in the last 10 minutes to cut the final deficit (67-56) to 11, by that point it was as if the Wooster Police had come to break up a party on East University Street that had gotten out-of-hand two hours ago.

The loss was difficult — the largest crowd of the season showed up to a game in which the Scots were pushed around like a grocery cart. The loss, however, was instructive. While the defeat snapped a 13-game winning streak, the Scots can use this game to refocus as they enter the most crucial stretch of the season.

Despite the loss, the season outlook remains positive for the Scots. The Scots remain nationally ranked at No. 21, dropping only two slots after the loss. Because regional rankings are such a critical determinant to the NCAA Tournament selection committee, the Scots could benefit as one of the top-ranked teams in the Great Lakes Region. Winning the NCAC Tournament would not only lock up an automatic bid, but could pay off with an opportune draw in the tournament.

This renders the NCAC Tournament as a must-win scenario for the Scots. The Scots are far and away the most talented team in the conference. The only team that has looked good enough to stop the Scots all season is Wittenberg.

From that standpoint, maybe the Scots should be rooting for someone else to trip up the Tigers — who always seem to save their best for Wooster. Then again, it’s hard to imagine the Scots not entering into a possible rematch against the Tigers with an unbelievable level of intensity and energy, ready to punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament by exacting revenge on their arch-rival. From that standpoint, it’d be just like old times.

Maybe the Scots should root for the Tigers to make it back to Timken for a grudge match next Saturday.