Senior Savannah Tress shoots over an Ohio Wesleyan defender.
SAM CARAVANA/THE DEPAUW
It was apparent that emotions were running high as the Senior Day festivities came to a close on Saturday, and the Lady Tigers tipped off against the Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops.
The first time DePauw faced off with Ohio Wesleyan, the DePauw Tigers were 15 point victors in a game they dominated throughout. This contest would go slightly differently as DePauw was able to battle back from multiple second half runs by the Battling Bishops.
The Tigers went on a few runs of their own, highlighted by their 15 point swing in the first half that gave them a 34-26 lead going into the halftime intermission. In the second half, Ohio Wesleyan cut the lead to one, when senior Lauren Abendroth, who led the DePauw Tigers with 13 points, hit a three pointer and senior Hannah Douglas followed with a lay up.
With 3:24 remaining the game DePauw held a commanding 69-60 lead, but that lead quickly evaporated to a three point lead as Ohio Wesleyan responded with six straight of their own with 1:38 left.
Seniors Hannah Douglas and Savannah Trees hit clutch free throws to clinch the Tiger’s victory 74-69. With the victory, the Lady Tigers won their fourth straight NCAC regular championship and will begin NCAC Tournament play Tuesday, Feb. 24th. The 7th ranked Tigers finished the regular season with a 23-1 record, which includes a perfect 16-0 record in NCAC play.
It was a historic afternoon at Neal Fieldhouse as Savannah Trees moved into second place on DePauw’s all time scoring list—her 11 points bringing her career total to 1,385 points. DePauw’s senior class improved their career record to 114-5, which is the best of any senior class in all of Division III.
