OCU's 2012 NAIA women's basketball champion

Women's Basketball 3/20/2012 9:22:00 PM

OCU SEWS UP SIXTH NAIA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TITLE 69-48

Top-ranked Stars topple second-ranked Union

OCU's 2012 NAIA Division I women's basketball champion

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Oklahoma City University earned its No. 1 ranking by triumphing 69-48 over Union (Tenn.) on Tuesday in the NAIA Division I women's basketball tournament championship at Frankfort Convention Center.
Taylor Booze, a senior from Duncanville, Texas, posted a game-high 20 points and came away with the national-tournament most valuable player award. The Stars finished their season 35-1 and on a 21-game win streak.
OCU has won national women's basketball championships in 1988, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and now, 2012. OCU also reached the finals in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
In all sports, OCU has captured 43 national championships and one a year since 1994.
The game matched the top-ranked team vs. the second-ranked squad in NAIA Division I this season as well as two of the most prolific women's basketball programs in the nation. OCU and Union were making their NAIA-high ninth national-title game appearances. Union owns five national crowns. OCU had beaten Union 69-57 on Nov. 26 in Shawnee, Okla.
The Stars suffered their only loss of the season 88-66 to Lubbock Christian (Texas) on Jan. 12 at Abe Lemons Arena. OCU responded with two wins over Lubbock Christian, 60-51 on Feb. 11 in Lubbock, Texas and 85-56 on Monday in the national semifinals.
“I'm just happy to see the journey our kids have gone on this season,” Oklahoma City coach Rob Edmisson said. “We defended so well, especially on their all-American (Lavanda Ross). We held her to very few looks and really made it tough for her to be effective. Defense wins championships, we say that all the time, and it proved itself tonight.”
Edmisson became the Phyllis Holmes NAIA coach of the year award winner.
“It's a big accomplishment to weed your way through this field of 32 teams,” Edmisson said. “I've been very impressed with our kids' ability to stay focused. To be a great tournament team in the format that this is, you have to be a great tournament team in the motel room. You have to be able to handle living in a motel room and eating food and being out of your environment. I think the teams that can handle that at this point in the year, when it breaks your routine of being at home and sleeping in your own beds and eating your own food is a big thing.”
Lauren Gober, a junior from Newcastle, Okla., chipped in 17 points, three assists, three blocked shots and two steals, while Dietra Caldwell, a senior from Missouri City, Texas, contributed nine points, 10 rebounds and five assists for OCU.
Nicollette Smith, a senior from Tulsa, Okla., recorded nine points, and Desiree Jeffries, a junior from Oklahoma City, added eight points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals for the Stars.
OCU shot 58.3 percent from the field in the second half to finish at 53.8 percent for the game. The Stars nailed 8 out of 14 3-point attempts. Union hit 33.9 percent of its shots.
Gober joined Booze on the all-tournament team. In the tournament, Booze averaged 14.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.60 steals. Gober recorded 15.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.80 blocks and 1.80 steals while shooting 57.1 percent from 3-point range the last five games.
“The great thing about our team is the balance of our team,” Edmisson said. “I think you've seen that in this tournament. On any given night, in our three games, we've had a different leading scorer. We have had four or five kids who average almost double figures. We're one of the top three leading teams in the country offensively, but we're also one of the top two or three teams in the country defensively. Our defense has been pretty stellar. Our kids have been locked in with our scouting reports and understanding what we gotta do.”
The Stars pushed their advantage to 49-32 after dropping off a 10-2 run. Smith touched off the spree with a basket off a feed from Caldwell to put the Stars up 41-30 with 15:04 to go.
Gober sank a bucket to finish off the spree with 12:17 left in the contest.
Booze scored to increase OCU's lead to 21 points at 62-41 with 2:45 to go.
Union cut its deficit to 24-20 on Shelby Ashcraft's 3-point play with 6:25 left in the first half. Union sliced OCU's lead to 28-24 with Ross' bucket with 4:16 showing in the first.
OCU answered with an 11-0 run that continued into the second half. Caldwell tallied six points during that run. Gober assisted on Caldwell's basket to put the Stars up 36-24, then drained a 3-pointer to give OCU a 39-24 cushion with 17:15 to go.
The Stars built an early 9-0 advantage. Booze nailed two 3-pointers before Caldwell sank a trey that gave OCU a nine-point lead with 16:21 left in the first.
Union went scoreless for the first 4:54 of the game. Union missed its first five shots from the field and turned the ball over four times. Gober rejected two Union shot attempts early.
When Booze scored to put OCU ahead 16-7 with 10:35 to go in the first, Booze had outscored Union 8-7.
Boxscore
Tournament Stats
Final Tournament Bracket
Tournament Press Book

2012 NAIA All-Tournament Team
First Team
Lavanda Ross, Union (Tenn.)
Angie Lawrence, Georgetown (Ky.)
Taylor Booze, Oklahoma City
Lauren Gober, Oklahoma City
Brittany Roberts, Lubbock Christian (Texas)

Second Team
Logan Froese, Rogers State
Briana Hall, Azusa Pacific (Calif.)
Charisse Reece, Biola (Calif.)
Tugce Canitez, Westmont (Calif.)
Kelsey Canavan, Lubbock Christian (Texas)

Most Valuable Player: Taylor Booze, Oklahoma City
Hustle Award: Abby Ballman, Shawnee State (Ohio)
Phyllis Holmes Coach of the Year Award: Rob Edmisson, Oklahoma City
Buffalo Funds Five Star Team Champions of Character Award: Lee (Tenn.)

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Players Mentioned

#24 Taylor Booze: G; 5' 6"; Senior

#30 Lauren Gober: F; 6' 2"; Junior

#10 Desiree Jeffries: F; 6' 0"; Junior

#42 Nicollette Smith: C; 6' 2"; Senior

#11 Dietra Caldwell: G; 5' 8"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#24 Taylor Booze
: 5' 6"; Senior
: G

#30 Lauren Gober
: 6' 2"; Junior
: F

#10 Desiree Jeffries
: 6' 0"; Junior
: F

#42 Nicollette Smith
: 6' 2"; Senior
: C

#11 Dietra Caldwell
: 5' 8"; Senior
: G