Senior Tommy Fernitz.
COURTESY OF DEPAUW ATHLETICS
In his second game back from injury, DePauw University senior Tommy Fernitz made his presence felt at a perfect time for the Tigers.
The senior scored 25 points in only 20 minutes of play coming off the bench to lift the Tigers to a 66-61 North Coast Athletic Conference win on the road at Kenyon College.
For Fernitz, the victory marked the first time he really had an impact on a DePauw game since he scored 22 points in a loss to The College of Wooster during the last week of January.
“It really meant a lot to me,” Fernitz said. “These last two weeks have been personally frustrating because I didn't know if I was going to be able to play again this year. So to be able to come out and get a road win while finding my rhythm felt great.”
After missing the four games immediately following DePauw University’s one point loss to the Fighting Scots, Fernitz appeared off the bench in last Wednesday’s 54-53 loss to Wittenberg University. The rust showed in Fernitz’s game, as he only went 2-of-7 shooting, scoring only five points and grabbing four rebounds in just over 15 minutes on the floor.
“Anytime you miss four games there is going to be an adjustment period so I'm just trying to get my stamina back to where it was before I got sick,” Fernitz said. “As for the minutes, I just need to keep proving with my play that I can handle my usual minutes.”
The Tigers were glad to have Fernitz back, but early on, it looked like his absence from the starting lineup would hurt the Tigers again. The lords raced out to an 8-0 lead and held the Tigers scoreless over the first five minutes of play.
DePauw used an extended run of their own to get back into the game and headed into halftime trailing only by one.
The second half saw multiple lead changes and a closely fought battle. The Tigers came back to tie the game early on and then built up a lead, only to see the Lords battle back and erase it. The same scenario occurred once more in the half, as the Lords responded and tied the game with less than five minutes to play.
“It was just another one of those grind it out games where neither team was shooting that well from the floor so each time someone scores it has a pretty big impact on the game,” senior Michael Onuorah said.
A pair of free throws by Fernitz and a layup from senior Frank Patton III pushed the DePauw lead back up to four, however, the Lords drew back within a point with just over half a minute remaining in regulation.
It was at that point that junior Bradley Fey put the game away for the Tigers. On consecutive possessions Fey was fouled and by converting on all four of his free throw attempts, successfully held off another Kenyon rally.
Fernitz’s 25 points were enough for a career-high in his second fewest minutes on the court this season. In addition to Fernitz, three other Tigers scored in double figures against the Lords. Senior Bob Dillon was good for 12 points and also led the team with three assists. Fey scored 10 with four of those points coming late in the game at the free throw line. Junior Adam Botts also scored 10, his second highest point total of the season.
What was really key for the Tigers was the play off the bench. Of the four players in double figures, Dillon was the only one on the floor when the game began. The DePauw bench contributed 49 of the team’s 66 points, a fact that was not lost on Dillon.
“It was huge for us,” Dillon said. “A lot of guys were ready to go off the bench and that was crucial for our victory. Fernitz had a big night off the bench and without performances like that, it’s tough to consistently win. I’m really proud of how our guys fought [Saturday] night.”
LEANN BURKE / THE DEPAUW
The win also helps solidify the Tigers in the top half of the seeding as the NCAC tournament begins to loom. The Tigers 9-7 conference record puts them two games clear of Denison University who currently occupies the five seed. If the tournament would begin today, the Tigers would host the Big Red in the conference quarterfinals at Neal Fieldhouse.
The Tigers have two more regular season games left to secure that homecourt advantage, the first of which takes place on Wednesday night, when they travel to Wabash College to face the Little Giants. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
“It’s going to be a crazy environment,” Dillon said. “Both teams don’t like each other, that’s just how the rivalry is and the guys can’t be more fired up for it.”