March 12, 2007

SIOUX CITY, Iowa - College of the Ozarks (Mo.) defeated MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.), 80-68, to move onto the championship game for the second consecutive year at the 16^th annual NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship at the Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena in Sioux City, Iowa

MidAmerica (33-3) jumped out to a 6-0 lead two minutes into the game, scoring on their three of their first four possessions. Ozarks (34-2) countered with a 9-2 run of their own to take their first lead of the game, 9-8.

 

From that point on the teams traded the lead or were tied 12 different times throughout the opening half. The Bobcats broke free from a 27-27 thanks to a 10-3 run in the final 3:05 of the first half.

 

In the second half MidAmerica started like the Bobcats had finished the first half, going on an 8-0 run over the opening four and a half minutes to regain the lead, 38-37. The squads continued to trade leads over the next six minutes, with the Lady Pioneers cushion growing to three on a pair of occasions.

 

With Ozarks trailing by one, 47-46, Janessa DeMuth buried a three on the left wing and was fouled for the Bobcasts. DeMuth made the free throw to convert the rare four-point play. The Lady Pioneers never led from that point on, as the Bobcats lead swelled to as many as 15.

 

Ozarks went 32-of-42 from the charity stripe, including 10-of-14 in the final 3:43 of the game. As a team the Bobcats were actually out shot by the Lady Pioneer who hit 39.4 percent from field compared to  just 31.9 percent for Ozarks. But MidAmerica struggled from beyond the arc, going just 2-of-21 (9.5 percent).

 

The Lady Pioneers were led in scoring by Aubrey Clare with 18 points. Jenna Matson and Ashley Patterson chipped in with 13 and 11 points respectively. Matson just missed the double double, pulling down nine boards.

DeMuth paced the Bobcats with a double double, scoring 24 points to go along with 14 rebounds. Lindsy Murray gave Ozarks quality minutes off the bench, scoring 17 points. Kayli Combs chipped in with 15.

The Bobcats will take on undefeated Indiana Wesleyan in the championship game which can be seen live on CSTV at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 13.

For more information on the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship visit www.naia.org.