The "Thrilla in Wooster" doesn't have the ring of the "Thrilla in Manilla", but the description was apt for UW-Whitewater's 75-71 win over Defiance College in the first round of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Divison III championship Friday night in Wooster, Ohio.  UW-W, 23-6, will face the College of Wooster, a 63-52 winner over Grove City College in Friday's other first round game.  The second round game will tip off at 6:00 (Central) Saturday in Wooster.  Link to UW-Whitewater Championship Central site.

box score

Whitewater led by four early in the first half, 6-2 at 15:06, and Defiance held a 17-10 advantage in the first twenty minutes.  But those were abberations in a first half that didn't see either team lead by more than four points the last nine minutes of the half.  Defiance was on top, 31-30, at intermission.

Defiance built a ten point margin, the largest of the game at 53-43 on a three pointer by Heath Armstrong with 13:35 left in the game.  Whitewater erased that deficit by out-scoring Defiance 11-2 over the next three minutes.  Defiance continued to lead, still by six, at 71-65 on a three pointer by Logan Wolfrum with 2:00 left in the game.  Junior guard Phil Negri (Minocqua/Lakeland) responded for UW-W with a three with 1:31 left to make it a three point game, 71-68. and senior center Dustin Mitchell (Lac Du Flambeau/Lakeland) knotted it up 71-71 with another three with 0:37 left.  On Defiance's next possession UW-W senior guard Dupree Fletcher (Milwaukee/Rufus King) stole the ball and went the length of the court for a layup to put UW-W in front 73-71 with 0:14 left.  It was junior guard #D.J. Dantzler#'s turn to steal the ball the next time Defiance came down court, and his two free throws with one second left gave UW-W the 75-71 win.

Defiance limited UW-W to 40% shooting from the floor, but the Warhawks made up for that with a wide margin at the line.  Whitewater made 23-28 free throws, Defiance 10-18.  

Four Warhawks scored in double figures, with Fletcher leading with 18, Mitchell adding 17, Dantzler 11 and Negri 10.  Senior forward Mike Bendal (Oconomowoc/Oconomowoc)l led UW-W with seven rebounds, Negri led with four assists, and Dantzler led with three steals.

Senior forward Nick Sales had game highs in both points, 27, rebounds, 15, and steals, 5, and for good measure dished out a team high four assists..  Anthony Brown and Logan Wolfrum added 13 and 12 points, respectively.