2006 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship
March 18, 2006
Contact: Chris Kilcoyne (540) 537-5943

 

Virginia Wesleyan Tops Wittenberg , 59-56, For First National Championship

Marlins Led by Tournament MOP Ton Ton Balenga

Salem , VA – Sophomore guard Ton Ton Balenga sparked a second-half rally and hit the game-winning shot as Virginia Wesleyan edged Wittenberg 59-56 Saturday.

Balenga hit a lay-up, stole the ball and then canned a short jump shot with 1:54 left to tie the game 52-52. Wesleyan grabbed its first lead when Brandon Adair got a lay-up with 1:20 to push the Marlins (30-3) ahead 54-52.

Adair also tied the game 56-56 when he hit a pair of free throws with 49.3 seconds left. After Wittenberg ’s Daniel Russ was called for traveling, Balenga sent a 3-point shot whistling through with 2.1 seconds left for the game-winning shot.

Balenga and Adair combined for most of the Marlins’ points. Balenga hit a game high 22 followed by his teammate’s 21-point effort.

Wittenberg (30-4) was paced by Dane Borchers with 15 points. The Tigers, who led by 10 points at the half, hit 21-of-44 shots from the field and held a 29-26 edge on the boards as Russ collected nine rebounds.

Wesleyan is one of the younger teams to win the NCAA Division III title. The Marlins had only one senior starter. The Tigers had four senior starters.

 

2006 NCAA Division III All-Tournament Team
Keelan Amelianovich-Illinois Wesleyan
Dane Borchers – Wittenberg
Dan Russ – Wittenberg
Brandon Adair – Va. Wesleyan
Ton Ton Balenga – Va. Wesleyan (Most Outstanding Player)

 

 

NCAA-

                                                                       

 

Wittenberg vs Virginia Wesleyan (3/18/06 at Salem Civic Center - Salem, VA)


Box Score
Newspaper Box Score

Official Basketball Box Score





Official Basketball Box Score
Wittenberg vs Virginia Wesleyan
3/18/06 5:00pm at Salem Civic Center - Salem, VA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISITORS: Wittenberg 30-4
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
10 DENBOW,Pat.......... *  0-1    0-1    0-1    0  1  1   0   0  2  1  0  0  32
20 STEFFES,Phil........ *  0-2    0-1    0-0    0  0  0   4   0  1  1  0  0  23
35 BRADY,Kenny......... *  4-11   3-6    2-3    1  0  1   1  13  1  3  0  0  30
45 BORCHERS,Dane....... *  5-8    0-0    5-7    4  3  7   3  15  0  1  0  0  25
55 RUSS,Daniel......... *  7-15   0-0    0-1    0  9  9   2  14  1  5  0  1  36
11 HILL,Gregg..........    2-3    0-1    4-4    1  3  4   2   8  0  1  0  0  21
12 McNEELY,Dan.........    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  1  1   2   0  1  2  0  1   5
15 BOWEN,Billy.........    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  2  2   3   0  0  1  1  1  11
40 HEMENWAY,Jack.......    3-4    0-0    0-0    1  1  2   1   6  0  0  3  0  15
53 HUELSMAN,Mark.......    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   1   0  0  0  0  0   2
   Team................                         1  1  2
   Totals..............   21-44   3-9   11-16   8 21 29  19  56  6 15  4  3 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 11-23 47.8%   2nd Half: 10-21 47.6%   Game: 47.7%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  2-6  33.3%   2nd Half:  1-3  33.3%   Game: 33.3%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  5-6  83.3%   2nd Half:  6-10 60.0%   Game: 68.8%    2

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HOME TEAM: Virginia Wesleyan 30-3
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
10 TUCKER,D'Juan....... *  2-4    0-1    0-0    2  3  5   1   4  3  2  0  0  31
20 FITCH,Marques....... *  1-3    0-1    4-4    0  2  2   3   6  2  0  0  1  27
24 BALEGNA,Ton Ton..... *  9-18   3-6    1-3    2  2  4   2  22  2  1  0  2  35
30 ADAIR,Brandon....... *  8-13   0-0    5-8    1  3  4   3  21  1  3  0  0  40
40 FANTIN,Tyler........ *  1-5    1-3    0-0    1  2  3   3   3  2  0  0  1  30
12 GREEN,Tory..........    0-1    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   1   0  0  1  0  1   5
14 DIXON,Terrell.......    1-5    1-3    0-0    0  0  0   3   3  1  0  0  0  22
32 YOUNG,Rodney........    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  1  1   0   0  0  0  0  0   1
50 TOWELL,Matt.........    0-2    0-1    0-0    0  1  1   2   0  0  2  0  1   9
   TEAM................                         4  2  6             2
   Totals..............   22-51   5-15  10-15  10 16 26  18  59 11 11  0  6 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half:  6-23 26.1%   2nd Half: 16-28 57.1%   Game: 43.1%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  3-9  33.3%   2nd Half:  2-6  33.3%   Game: 33.3%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  4-6  66.7%   2nd Half:  6-9  66.7%   Game: 66.7%   3,2

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Officials: John Stigliano, Brad Fowler & Glen Dixon
Technical fouls: Wittenberg-None. Virginia Wesleyan-None.
Attendance: 3435
Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total
Wittenberg....................   29   27  -   56
Virginia Wesleyan.............   19   40  -   59
NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship Game
VWU wins on 3 ptr by Balegna at :02
Stats by The Onnidan Group

Points in the paint-WITT 34,VAWES 32. Points off turnovers-WITT 16,VAWES 13.
2nd chance points-WITT 8,VAWES 8. Fast break points-WITT 2,VAWES 4.
Bench points-WITT 14,VAWES 3. Score tied-3 times. Lead changed-1 time.
Last FG-WITT 2nd-00:58, VAWES 2nd-00:02.








 




Newspaper Box Score






Newspaper Box Score
Wittenberg vs Virginia Wesleyan
3/18/06 5:00pm at Salem Civic Center - Salem, VA
At Salem Civic Center - Salem, VA
VIRGINIA WESLEYAN 59, WITTENBERG 56
WITTENBERG (30-4)
BORCHERS,Dane 5-8 5-7 15; RUSS,Daniel 7-15 0-1 14; BRADY,Kenny 4-11 2-3 13;
HILL,Gregg 2-3 4-4 8; HEMENWAY,Jack 3-4 0-0 6; DENBOW,Pat 0-1 0-1 0;
HUELSMAN,Mark 0-0 0-0 0; McNEELY,Dan 0-0 0-0 0; BOWEN,Billy 0-0 0-0 0;
STEFFES,Phil 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 21-44 11-16 56.
VIRGINIA WESLEYAN (30-3)
BALEGNA,Ton Ton 9-18 1-3 22; ADAIR,Brandon 8-13 5-8 21; FITCH,Marques 1-3
4-4 6; TUCKER,D'Juan 2-4 0-0 4; DIXON,Terrell 1-5 0-0 3; FANTIN,Tyler 1-5
0-0 3; YOUNG,Rodney 0-0 0-0 0; GREEN,Tory 0-1 0-0 0; TOWELL,Matt 0-2 0-0 0.
Totals 22-51 10-15 59.
Wittenberg....................   29   27  -   56
Virginia Wesleyan.............   19   40  -   59
3-point goals-Wittenberg 3-9 (BRADY,Kenny 3-6; HILL,Gregg 0-1; DENBOW,Pat
0-1; STEFFES,Phil 0-1), Virginia Wesleyan 5-15 (BALEGNA,Ton Ton 3-6;
DIXON,Terrell 1-3; FANTIN,Tyler 1-3; TUCKER,D'Juan 0-1; TOWELL,Matt 0-1;
FITCH,Marques 0-1). Fouled out--Wittenberg-None, Virginia Wesleyan-None.
Rebounds-Wittenberg 29 (RUSS,Daniel 9), Virginia Wesleyan 26 (TUCKER,D'Juan
5). Assists-Wittenberg 6 (DENBOW,Pat 2), Virginia Wesleyan 11 (TUCKER,D'Juan
3). Total fouls-Wittenberg 19, Virginia Wesleyan 18. A-3435
NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship Game
VWU wins on 3 ptr by Balegna at :02
Stats by The Onnidan Group