IWU Women WIN Championship
03/13/07
By ADAM FISHER, Chronicle
Tribune
acfisher@marion.gannett.com
SIOUX CITY, Iowa It was a perfect ending to a perfect season for the Indiana Wesleyan womens basketball team.
The Wildcats became the first undefeated team in NAIA Division II history Tuesday, beating Ozarks (Mo.) 48-34 in the national championship game. IWU won the schools first title and finished the year 38-0.
This is one of the best feelings of accomplishments Ive ever felt in my life, Wildcats senior Liz Howerth said. We did it, and thats awesome.
Howerth, the schools all-time leading scorer, scored 25 points, more than half her teams total. She won the tournaments Most Valuable Player award after averaging 19.6 points per game in the Wildcats five victories.
Indiana Wesleyan won with the staunch defense thats guided the team all year. The Wildcats held Ozarks, the nations third highest scoring team, 49 points below its season average of 83.
In the tournament IWU held its opponents to 42.2 points a game, five points fewer than its Division II-leading average entering the tourney.
After the game, Howerth was named to the All-NAIA Division II first team for the third straight season. Playing in nationals four straight years, Howerth finished her career as the fourth-leading scorer in the tournaments history.
Indiana Wesleyan ranked No. 1 in the national polls all year long. Tuesdays win set a Division II record for consecutive victories in a season.
I dont know what to say about this, IWU coach Steve Brooks said. Probably years from now when Im sitting around Ill realize what just happened, but now Im kind of numb to the whole thing.
Its been an incredible time out here in Sioux City. Im really proud of the girls. They were able to focus at the right time.
Indiana Wesleyan held the Bobcats to 13 points in the second half, when the Wildcats sealed their championship. After a staking a 22-21 lead at halftime, IWU opened the second with a 14-4 run to take a 36-25 lead. The teams combined to score just 23 points in the final 12:49.
Ozarks finished national runners-up for the second straight year. Bobcats guards Janessa DeMuth and Kayli Combs, who both entered the championship averaging more than 20 points a game in the tournament, combined to score 11 points. Combs went scoreless.
Its fitting that we won and the score was low, senior Stephanie Culp said. Thats the way weve done it all year. Its what were best at.
Culp won the tournaments Hustle Award. She finished the title game with five steals and four assists.
The championship ends the career of five Wildcats seniors Howerth, Culp, Katrina Spitler, Katy Hinkle and Sarah McGill who have taken the program to national prominence. In their four seasons, IWU has gone 128-18 and won three Mid-Central Conference championships.
Its been an incredible run, Brooks said. These seniors are incredible people. Its going to be hard to watch them walk out that door.
McGill and Brooke Amstutz finished with six points Tuesday. Howerth added a game-high 12 rebounds.
acfisher@marion.gannett.com
SIOUX CITY, Iowa It was a perfect ending to a perfect season for the Indiana Wesleyan womens basketball team.
The Wildcats became the first undefeated team in NAIA Division II history Tuesday, beating Ozarks (Mo.) 48-34 in the national championship game. IWU won the schools first title and finished the year 38-0.
This is one of the best feelings of accomplishments Ive ever felt in my life, Wildcats senior Liz Howerth said. We did it, and thats awesome.
Howerth, the schools all-time leading scorer, scored 25 points, more than half her teams total. She won the tournaments Most Valuable Player award after averaging 19.6 points per game in the Wildcats five victories.
Indiana Wesleyan won with the staunch defense thats guided the team all year. The Wildcats held Ozarks, the nations third highest scoring team, 49 points below its season average of 83.
In the tournament IWU held its opponents to 42.2 points a game, five points fewer than its Division II-leading average entering the tourney.
After the game, Howerth was named to the All-NAIA Division II first team for the third straight season. Playing in nationals four straight years, Howerth finished her career as the fourth-leading scorer in the tournaments history.
Indiana Wesleyan ranked No. 1 in the national polls all year long. Tuesdays win set a Division II record for consecutive victories in a season.
I dont know what to say about this, IWU coach Steve Brooks said. Probably years from now when Im sitting around Ill realize what just happened, but now Im kind of numb to the whole thing.
Its been an incredible time out here in Sioux City. Im really proud of the girls. They were able to focus at the right time.
Indiana Wesleyan held the Bobcats to 13 points in the second half, when the Wildcats sealed their championship. After a staking a 22-21 lead at halftime, IWU opened the second with a 14-4 run to take a 36-25 lead. The teams combined to score just 23 points in the final 12:49.
Ozarks finished national runners-up for the second straight year. Bobcats guards Janessa DeMuth and Kayli Combs, who both entered the championship averaging more than 20 points a game in the tournament, combined to score 11 points. Combs went scoreless.
Its fitting that we won and the score was low, senior Stephanie Culp said. Thats the way weve done it all year. Its what were best at.
Culp won the tournaments Hustle Award. She finished the title game with five steals and four assists.
The championship ends the career of five Wildcats seniors Howerth, Culp, Katrina Spitler, Katy Hinkle and Sarah McGill who have taken the program to national prominence. In their four seasons, IWU has gone 128-18 and won three Mid-Central Conference championships.
Its been an incredible run, Brooks said. These seniors are incredible people. Its going to be hard to watch them walk out that door.
McGill and Brooke Amstutz finished with six points Tuesday. Howerth added a game-high 12 rebounds.