SpringfieldNewsSun.com

There's no scientific way to determine the best Wittenberg-Wooster game. By narrowing the time frame to this decade, it gets easier — until you realize that so many of the best games have taken place in the last eight seasons.

Ryan Pedon, a 2000 Wooster graduate who is now an assistant men's basketball coach at Miami University, couldn't pick just one game that stood out during his career.

"The rivalry is special because it all blends together," Pedon said.

Thirteen of the 22 games this decade have been decided by seven points or less. The difference in six of the last seven games has been three points or less.

Picking 10 games isn't easy. Ranking them is even more difficult. But here's an attempt:

1. Feb. 12, 2005: Wooster 102, Wittenberg 95 (3 OTs) — The News-Sun's headline, "Triple the Heartbreak," told the story of all that Witt lost by losing this one. In front of the first sellout HPER Center crowd in 20 years, the Tigers faded in the final frame.

The big shot was a 3-pointer by Wooster's Kyle Witucky to tie the game with one second left in the second overtime.

"That was the best game I ever played in," said Wittenberg's Dan Russ, who scored 37 points. "It was back and forth the whole game. The court started getting slippery because there were so many people in the stands. With the humidity, people were sliding all over the place."

2. Feb. 25, 2006: Wittenberg 71, Wooster 69 — In 69 seconds, Wooster cut Wittenberg's nine-point lead to one, but Russ hit two free throws with seven seconds left and Witt escaped in the North Coast Athletic Conference championship game in Wooster.

The win was Wittenberg coach Bill Brown's 300th at Wittenberg. It followed two regular-season losses to the Scots, and it helped propel the Tigers to the NCAA title game.

3. Dec. 10, 2005: Wooster 86, Wittenberg 83 — Scots sophomore James Cooper's 25-foot 3-pointer with four seconds left in Wooster added a new twist to the rivalry. Cooper, a Springfield native, sank his hometown team, and it wouldn't be the last time he played well against the Tigers.

4. Feb. 23, 2002: Wittenberg 58, Wooster 57 — In the second of five NCAC tourney title games this decade between the Tigers and Scots, Wittenberg's Greg Rustad hit three free throws with 10.8 seconds left. Wooster's Antwyan Reynolds missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

5. Feb. 4, 2006: Wooster 86, Wittenberg 77 — In Springfield, No. 2 Wooster, led by Cooper's 24 points, swept the regular-season series from the No. 1 Tigers. It was the first game between the top two ranked teams in the history of the D3hoops.com poll.

6. Jan. 19, 2008: Wittenberg 87, Wooster 86 (OT) — Wittenberg's Brandan Barabino sent the game to OT in Springfield with three free throws with one second left. Then Witt's Gregg Hill banked in a 3-pointer with 15 seconds left in OT and hit the game-winning layup with four seconds to go.

7. Feb. 24, 2001: Wooster 59, Wittenberg 56 — Wooster's Reynolds hit a 3-pointer with 28 seconds left to win the NCAC tournament championship in Springfield.

8. Feb. 26, 2005: Wittenberg 61, Wooster 59 — A season after losing 100-71 to the Scots in the NCAC tournament final in Springfield, the Tigers got their revenge in the NCAC final at Wooster. It was the second time in the decade Wooster had earned the No. 1 ranking on a Tuesday only to lose to Wittenberg the next Saturday.

9. Feb. 16, 2002: Wittenberg 68, Wooster 66 — In Wooster, the Tigers overcame a nine-point deficit with four minutes to play to clinch their second straight regular-season title.

10. Dec. 9, 2006: Wooster 68, Wittenberg 65 — In Springfield, Tom Port's 3-pointer with 39 seconds left lifted the Scots to their most recent victory over the Tigers.

By The Numbers

6 Games decided by three points or less in the last seven meetings.

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18 Points separating the two programs in 22 games played this decade. Wooster leads 1,617-1,599.

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21 Wittenberg wins over Wooster during coach Bill Brown's 15 seasons. Brown leads Wooster's Steve Moore 21-15.

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10 Games played since 2001 in which both teams have been ranked in the top 10 in NCAA Division III.