Wittenberg, ranked third in the nation with a 10-1 record at the conclusion of the non-conference portion of the 2005-06 regular season schedule, won the title in its home tournament for the 20th time in 23 years. Marian, an NAIA scholarship program, dropped to 5-6 overall.
For the first 26 minutes, the Tigers couldn't pull away from the Knights. But after freshman guard Dan McNeeley completed a three-point play off a steal by freshman wing Tyler Howard at the 13:42 mark of the second half - giving the Tigers a 38-35 lead - Wittenberg never trailed again. That sparked a 13-3 run that staked the Tigers to a 48-38 lead with 8:31 remaining. The lead got down to five points on several occasions before 12-0 run in the closing minutes made the game appear to be a route.
Wittenberg put three players on the all-tournament team - Howard and senior post Daniel Russ and Tournament MVP Dane Borchers, also a senior post. Borchers was the MVP for the second straight year after pouring in 15 points and four rebounds. Howard came off the bench to contribute 10 points, five assists and four rebounds to the winning effort, and Russ, who missed Thursday's semifinal win over St. Norbert with a calf injury, was a difference-maker with 14 points and eight rebounds, including a huge three-point play in the closing minutes that essentially put the game out of reach.
Marian got 13 points and eight rebounds from Derek Huffman as he made the all-tournament team. Jeff Manley came off the bench to add 13 points and Jordan Dever finished with 10 points. The Knights won the rebounding battle 30-27, but they committed five more turnovers in the game. Statistically, the difference was in the shooting numbers as the Tigers hit 49 percent from the field and Marian was limited to 39 percent shooting.