By ADAM FISHER, Chronicle Tribune
acfisher@marion.gannett.com
SIOUX CITY, Iowa - Even at the pinnacle of her career, Liz Howerth remained a team player.
Howerth had a storybook ending to her already stellar career Tuesday. She won Most Valuable Player honors in the NAIA Division II national tournament as her Indiana Wesleyan University team won the school's first championship.
She couldn't have written a better ending, Howerth admits. Yet as she prepares to ride off into the sunset as IWU's most decorated athlete, Howerth says she couldn't have accomplished any of it alone.
"In my individual awards, this is the top one," Howerth said of her MVP award. "What it means is that we are 38-0, and we've done it together. The MVP means I was a leader on this team in our last game."
Her teammates say that's just Liz.
No matter how many accolades or awards she wins, they say, she remains humble and team-oriented. While Howerth is a leader on the court, her fellow Wildcats say her role as their spiritual foundation is more important.
Howerth started for the Wildcats all four years and ends her career as the school's all-time leading scorer. After Tuesday's championship game, she was named to the All-NAIA first team for the third straight year. Howerth is also second all-time at IWU in rebounds and fourth in assists.
More important to the 5-foot-11 forward from Athens, Ohio, however, are the Wildcats' team records. With a 38-0 record, IWU became the first Division II team to finish undefeated. The Wildcats also set a new mark for the most victories in a season.
"She is team first, no exception," senior teammate Stephanie Culp said. "She does what's needed as a team. She doesn't care what her statistics are. She doesn't care about all the accomplishments. She wants to win for this team."
Howerth leads by example. Wildcats coach Steve Brooks said she's not a vocal leader, but the rest of the team follows her because they respect her.
Led by Howerth, this year's class of five seniors have led the Wildcats to unprecedented success. The group won three Mid-Central Conference championships and has gone 128-18 in the past four years. IWU has been to the national tournament each of those years after making the field just once before Howerth's freshman season.
With 25 points and 12 rebounds in Tuesday's championship game, Howerth became the fourth leading scorer and 10th leading rebounder in the tournament's 16-year history.
"I've never coached anybody like her," Brooks said. "She's done everything in a really first-class manner. She's everything that Indiana Wesleyan would want in a student."
Howerth said she isn't sure what her legacy at IWU will be, but she hopes people remember her as someone who made her teammates better. Her own memories, though, won't have anything to do with basketball.
Instead, she'll look back on how much she has grown as a person and in her spirituality in four years at Indiana Wesleyan. The bond she now shares with 14 other teammates, Howerth said, is the best part of hoisting the championship trophy.
"This has been an amazing year," Howerth said. "We ended on the last possible game we could end it on. We ended with a win. For the seniors to win this our last year, it's just been an amazing opportunity and experience for all of us."

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 women’s 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 school’s first title and finished the year 38-0.

“This is one of the best feelings of accomplishments I’ve ever felt in my life,” Wildcats’ senior Liz Howerth said. “We did it, and that’s awesome.”

Howerth, the school’s all-time leading scorer, scored 25 points, more than half her team’s total. She won the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award after averaging 19.6 points per game in the Wildcats’ five victories.

Indiana Wesleyan won with the staunch defense that’s guided the team all year. The Wildcats held Ozarks, the nation’s third highest scoring team, 49 points below its season average of 83.

In the tournament IWU held it’s 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 tournament’s history.

Indiana Wesleyan ranked No. 1 in the national polls all year long. Tuesday’s win set a Division II record for consecutive victories in a season.

“I don’t know what to say about this,” IWU coach Steve Brooks said. “Probably years from now when I’m sitting around I’ll realize what just happened, but now I’m kind of numb to the whole thing.

“It’s been an incredible time out here in Sioux City. I’m 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.

“It’s fitting that we won and the score was low,” senior Stephanie Culp said. “That’s the way we’ve done it all year. It’s what we’re best at.”

Culp won the tournament’s 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.

“It’s been an incredible run,” Brooks said. “These seniors are incredible people. It’s 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.

By ADAM FISHER, Chronicle Tribune
acfisher@marion.gannett.com
SIOUX CITY, Iowa - When the Indiana Wesleyan University women's basketball team tips off in tonight's NAIA Division II national championship game, it will complete the team's turnaround from a nobody to one of the premiere programs in the country.
The Wildcats have made the transformation under one man. Coach Steve Brooks, in eight seasons at IWU, has led the school's march to the forefront of the small college basketball landscape. But he has built the women's basketball team into a national power using unconventional methods.
Brooks can match Xs and Os with the best of them, and he certainly is a great motivator. The coach of 25 years, however, has achieved unprecedented success not with his clipboard, but with his compassion and his faith.
Now on the verge of the school's first national title, it is Brooks' passion off the court that has led to his success on it.
"We know he cares about us just like cares about his own family," Wildcats senior Liz Howerth said. "That's not something you're going to get with every coach."
Players say it's the coach's heart that separates him from most who walk the sidelines. The Wildcats say Brooks, who said he's been called intimidating on more than one occasion, is a good coach, but more importantly is a great man.
"He really cares for us other than just as basketball players," fourth-year starter Katrina Spitler said. "That makes it easy for us to respect him on and off the court."
By his admission, Brooks is a competitive person. His desire to win can be seen on the sidelines where, sometimes, Brooks yells so intensely that his face nearly matches his crimson IWU shirt and tie.
Coaching, however, is more than calling plays to the 49-year-old. To Brooks, his duties extend far beyond the hardwood.
"There is so much more to coaching than rolling the ball out and playing games," Brooks said. "To me, it's a ministry. It's a chance to have an impact on kids' lives. I want this to be a whole lot more than just playing basketball. I want it to be a life thing for them."
Senior Stephanie Culp has played for Brooks for four years. She said her coach is constantly relating the sport to life - if players can't make it through a few wind-sprints without quitting, how will they deal with a job once it gets too hard?
"He knows there are things that are ultimately more important than the game of basketball," Culp said. "He does a good job of making us see this isn't our end. We have other purposes in life. He teaches us how to fulfill those the best that we can."
A student of the game, Brooks says he follows no specific coaching doctrine. Instead he's borrowed drills, plays, ideas and philosophies from other coaches he respects.
Though he's read countless books on the subject, Brooks said one of the best bits of coaching advice he's heard came from the movie Miracle. In the movie about the 1980 U.S hockey team winning the Olympic gold medal, Coach Herb Brooks says, "I don't need the best players; I need the right players."
Steve Brooks values chemistry over stats. He'll take a team player over a Hall of Famer any day. He said he's turned away Indiana All-Stars because they didn't fit IWU's spiritual ideals or mesh with the team.
"Coming in as a freshman, I felt totally comfortable with (Brooks) and the program," senior Katy Hinkle said. "It's important you feel you can talk to your coach about more than just basketball, but about everyday stuff and know that he cares for you."
His players value the team concept, Brooks said, which has helped the Wildcats win games. After going 23-41 in his first two seasons with IWU, Brooks has compiled a 184-34 record in the past six years. He is 207-75 overall and became the school's winningest all-time coach Nov. 29, with a 62-48 victory at Spring Arbor, his 182nd win with the Wildcats.
Brooks had never coached women before coming to Indiana Wesleyan, nor did he have any intentions of doing so.
After graduating from Taylor in 1980, Paul Patterson's first year coaching the Trojans, Brooks coached at Liberty Benton High School outside of his hometown of Findlay, Ohio, for three years. He then returned to his alma mater as an assistant for three seasons before coaching the Houghton (N.Y.) College men from 1986 to 1993.
Brooks had another stint as an assistant at Taylor before accepting his first women's coaching job in 1999. With the Wildcats, Brooks found out quickly he had to tailor his coaching style to fit the women, which was a big adjustment.
"There's no way you can sit and say coaching girls is the same as coaching guys," the coach said. "It's a totally, totally different experience. Nothing I did coaching guys got me ready for this. The goal is ultimately the same, but getting to that goal is not the same."
Much of Brooks' coaching style comes from working with Patterson. Brooks only played for Taylor's legendary coach his senior year, but he served for nine years as an assistant under Patterson, who just finished his 28th season with the Trojans.
"Coach Patterson really has had a major impact on my life in so many areas, not just basketball," Brooks said.
One characteristic Brooks' teams share with Patterson's is discipline.
Brooks said his former mentor taught him to value the basketball and not make sure his players don't beat themselves. The team-first idea, while preached by most coaches, was instilled in him by Patterson, Brooks said.
In addition to Patterson, Brooks said he's studied John Wooden and former Wisconsin coach Dick Bennett. He's also good friends with Valparaiso women's coach Keith Freeman, whom Brooks said he talked to twice Friday, the day of the Wildcats' victory over Tabor (Kan.) in the second round of the national tournament.
"(Brooks) takes things, implements them and also makes them his own," Howerth said. "He's a very teachable leader, and that makes him very humble."
Brooks pours over hours of game film and studies every aspect of every opponent. His players say it is his painstaking preparation that makes him so successful.
"He does a lot for our program just getting us ready to play," Spitler said. "Sometimes I think we're overprepared and we know stuff better than the other team."
And his basketball brain never stops working, Howerth said.
"He said he was on his lawnmower this past summer, thinking about the teams we were going to play (in the national tournament) and how we're going to beat them."
Coaching at Taylor, though he was only an assistant, was a dream come true for Brooks. He thought he'd never leave his alma mater. He thought he'd retire a Trojan.
"I would have said that's where it was going to all end, but that's not what God's plan was, and I'm thankful," Brooks said. "I'm thankful to be at Indiana Wesleyan and surrounded by some really neat people."
Brooks' 73.4 percent winning percentage at IWU has drawn some attention. Brooks said he's been offered two or three men's coaching jobs, but he simply has no interest. He enjoys where he's at.
Winning a national title today will be sure to bring more suitors to Brooks' door, possibly from some NCAA schools. But the coach says he isn't drawn to the spotlight of the big stage. He knows where he belongs.
"I really truly believe if God wants me to be somewhere other than Indiana Wesleyan, I'll be somewhere other than Indiana Wesleyan," Brooks said.

By ADAM FISHER, Chronicle Tribune
acfisher@marion.gannett.com

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Indiana Wesleyan women’s basketball team shocked everyone Monday night, including itself.

The Wildcats dominated on both ends of the floor Monday, blowing out fifth-ranked Cedarville (Ohio) 93-56 in the semifinals of the NAIA Division II National Tournament. IWU plays for its first national championship at 7:30 p.m. today when it takes on the winner of Monday’s Ozarks (Mo.)-MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) semifinal, which ended too late for publication.

Indiana Wesleyan (37-0) shot 62.3 percent from the field, including 61.1 percent from 3-point range. The Wildcats also held Cedarville (26-7), the sixth highest scoring team in the nation, 22 points below its average.

“I didn’t expect this,” IWU coach Steve Brooks said. “I thought this game would go down to the wire. Tonight our shots were falling, and I don’t have an answer for that.”

The hot hand of senior Sarah McGill guided IWU, who knocked the Jackets on their heels with a 16-4 run to start the game. McGill connected on 9 of 12 shots and scored 21 points as the Wildcats closed the door on Cedarville in the first half.

McGill finished with a game-high 31 points in 26 minutes of action. She hit 13 of 17 shots, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range. As a team IWU made 38 of 61 shots from the field.

“Everybody was clicking,” McGill said. “We’re such a close team. If one person is doing good, everyone feels just as good. We just feed off each other’s energy, and that’s what happened today.”

With the victory, the Wildcats tie the record for the most victories in one season. IWU can break the record with a victory tonight. It was the first appearance in the national semifinals in program history.

Liz Howerth added 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists for IWU. Lisa Thompson scored 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting.

The Wildcats hit their first five shots of the game to take a 12-4 lead four minutes in. IWU shot 11-of-13 in the first 10 minutes and opened up a 17 point lead. Cedarville never got closer than 12 points. The Wildcats led by as many as 38 points in the second half.

IWU shot 21-of-28 before halftime to take a 49-31 lead into the break. A 13-5 run to start the second half put the game away.

“This whole article should be about the focus and the drive and determination and how well-coached Indiana Wesleyan is,” Jackets coach Kirk Martin said. “They came out and shot so well, we had trouble getting comfortable. With every 3 they made they just got more confident and we got more unconfident.”

Defensively the Wildcats held Cedarville to less than 60 points for the second time this year. Indiana Wesleyan beat the Jackets 69-59 on Nov. 4 in the championship game of the Cedarville Tournament.

Brittany Smart, the leading scorer in tournament and Division II history, scored 30 points to lead Cedarville. Smart, who led the nation scoring 28.6 points per game, was held scoreless for the game’s first seven minutes.

“(Smart) is going to get points,” McGill said. “We just tried to keep her under control as much as possible and not let other people get going.”

Led by senior Sarah McGill, the Indiana Wesleyan women’s basketball team had its best shooting game of the season Monday in a surprise blowout of Cedarville (Ohio). In a battle of two No. 1 seeds, the Wildcats won 93-56 in a NAIA Division II National Tournament semifinal game that was never close.

IWU (37-0) will play in its first-ever national championship game tonight at 7:30 p.m. The Wildcats play the winner of tonight’s Ozarks-MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) semifinal contest.

Sarah McGill scored 31 points to lead Indiana Wesleyan. She hit 13 of 17 shots and 5 of 7 from the free throw line. McGill, who was three points away from tying a career high, scored 21 points in the first half and achieved her game-high total in 26 minutes of playing time.

Indiana Wesleyan shot 62 percent from the field (38 of 61), their highest percentage of the tournament. The Wildcats drained 11 of 18 shots from 3-point range.

The Wildcats hit their first five shots and took a 12-4 lead in the game’s first four minutes. IWU hit 11 of its first 13 shots as its lead grew to 17 eight minutes into the game. After that the Wildcats never led by less than 12 points, and were up by as many as 38 in the second half.

By Justin Bryant, IWU Sports Info
POINT LOOKOUT, MO—After a quick start, the tenth seeded Indiana Wesleyan University men’s basketball team fell behind in the second half and couldn’t fully rebound losing to the second seeded MidAmerica Nazarene University 77-68 Saturday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the NAIA DII National Tournament.

The Wildcats (30-5) controlled the first fifteen minutes of the ball game behind the play of DeJovaun Sawyer-Davis, who finished with 22 points.

Sawyer-Davis scored 14 points on five of eight shooting including two for three from behind the 3-point line to help IWU to a 31-20 lead when MidAmerica called timeout with five minutes left in the first half.

“In warm-ups I felt pretty good (shooting),” said Sawyer-Davis who finished with a team-high 22 points. “I noticed in their other games they didn’t guard on the outside. They didn’t come out and guard me so I just shot the ball.”

After the timeout, MidAmerica (32-2) allowed only two more IWU buckets before mounting an 8-0 run to cut the IWU lead to 35-33 at halftime and steal the momentum.

“It was still positive,” Wildcats’ coach Greg Tonagel said about the attitude in the locker room. “We still talked about who was winning this ball game but it was just a mental adjustment we needed to make and say ‘Look we’re up. Let’s go back out there and play.’

“Momentum is huge in basketball and they took it going into the half.”

The Pioneers’ momentum continued in the second half as they scored ten more points before the Wildcats found the hoop.

Pioneer guard Jacob Nellor fueled the run with two fast break lay-ups in the first half and a 3-pointer in the second half. Nellor hit five timely 3-pointers to kill IWU’s second half comeback attempts and finish with a game-high 23 points.

“We knew he (Nellor) was a shooter and we lost him,” said coach Tonagel. “Those are defensive mistakes and when you’re playing for a Final Four you can’t have those defensive mistakes.”

The Pioneers’ defense shut down IWU’s leading scorer Jon Moon, holding him to only two points. Senior Joel Tonagel was also pinned down scoring only eight points.

“Jon Moon was guarded by Jacob Nellor,” MidAmerica coach Rocky Lamar said. “We stick Jacob on whoever is their best player and we thought Jon Moon was their best player and he did a great job on him. And then Cal Kiburz guarded Tonagel. Cal is 6’9” and I think his long frame bothered (Tonagel).”

The Wildcats were able to take the lead one time in the second half at 52-51 on a Ryan Hetrick 3-pointer. But Nellor responded with a 3-pointer of his own for the Pioneers and IWU was never able to get over the hump after that.

“We hit a three to go up one,” J. Tonagel said. “But they came back and fired back which shows the championship caliber of their team to take a run by us and fight it with their own run.”

The loss marks the last game in J. Tonagel’s four-year career at IWU were he has scored more than 1,000 points and is the all-time assist leader.

“I couldn’t be more happy,” said J. Tonagel. “It is just a blessing from God to go from where we were to where we are now. It was a dream season and it would have been even sweeter dream if we would have kept on winning but it was a great year.

I couldn’t be happier with the guys I played with and it’s something I’m going to remember for the rest of my life.”

By ADAM FISHER, Chronicle Tribune
acfisher@marion.gannett.com
SIOUX CITY, Iowa - Indiana Wesleyan remained undefeated on the season and denied defending national champion Hastings College (Neb.) a chance at repeating with a 61-52 win on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the 16th annual NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship at the Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena in Sioux City, Iowa.

It took over three minutes for either team to get on the scoreboard as Hastings (28-7) struck first on a three by Kay Broekemeier. Indiana Wesleyan (36-0) took over the lead and extended it to eight before. Hastings came back to pull within a bucket (21-19) with 2:37 remaining in the half, but the Wildcats closed out the frame on a 11-1 run to take a 10 point advantage at the break.
 
The Broncos never led in the second half, but did cut the lead to one, 49-48, with 6:00 minutes left. Indiana Wesleyan answered with a triple by Liz Howerth to push the cushion back to four. The Wildcats lead never dipped below the four-point mark the rest of the way. Sarah McGill put the game out of reach, banking in a three to beat the shot clock, to make it 59-52. 

Hastings, who saw their seven-game tournament win streak snapped, were paced by Hruka Yamashito who finished with 17 points, including a pair of threes. Stacy Svoboda wrapped up her Bronco career with a double double (14 points, 14 rebounds). Svoboda had 38 rebounds during the tournament. Lindsey Ducey was the only other Bronco in double figures with 10.
 
The Wildcats had four players in double figures, led by Howerth who finished with a game-high 19 points. Three players had added 10 points for Indiana Wesleyan; Lisa Thompson, Stephanie Culp and McGill. As a team the Wildcats shot 45.8 percent from the field, including seven three point field goals.
 
With the win Indiana Wesleyan tied Concordia (Neb.) for the second most consecutive victories in a season in NAIA Women's Division II history. The record (37) is held by Claflin (S.C.) and was set in 1987-88.
 
The Wildcats will take on the winner the Taylor vs. Cedarville contest in the semifinals on Monday, March 12 at 6:00 p.m.

By ADAM FISHER, Chronicle Tribune
acfisher@marion.gannett.com

The Indiana Wesleyan women’s basketball team survived a late charge from Hastings (Neb.) in the NAIA Division II national tournament quarterfinals today to claim a 61-52 victory. The win sends the Wildcats to their first national semifinals appearance.

The Broncos had cut a 10-point second-half deficit to one point and trailed 49-48 with six minutes to play. IWU outscored second-seeded Hastings 12-4 to end the game.

Liz Howerth led the Wildcats with 19 points, including seven in the finalfour minutes as IWU held off the charging Broncos. Stephanie Culp and Sarah McGill each added 10 for Indiana Wesleyan.

The Wildcats play the winner of today’s Taylor-Cedarville (Ohio) quarterfinal game at 6 p.m. Monday in the semifinals.

By ADAM FISHER, Chronicle Tribune
acfisher@marion.gannett.com

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Indiana Wesleyan guard Stephanie Culp always remembers one piece of advice from coach Steve Brooks when she’s on the court.

“Coach always tells us to keep shooting and stay confident,” Culp said.

Culp and the Wildcats’ shooters overcame a rocky first half to hit some big shots and pull away after halftime Friday. Top-seeded IWU beat Tabor (Kan.), the fourth seed, 61-44 in the second round of the NAIA Division II women’s basketball national tournament.

Culp hit back-to-back 3-pointers and scored eight straight points in a 15-4 second half run that put the game away. The Wildcats shot 8-of-26 from long range for the game, but hit four straight 3s in the pivotal run.

Indiana Wesleyan plays defending national champion Hastings (Neb.) at 1 p.m. today in the quarterfinals. With the victory, the Wildcats matched their deepest run into the national tournament. IWU made its only other quarterfinal appearance in 2005, when it lost to Evangel (Calif.)

Ranked No. 1 in the national polls, IWU remained undefeated (35-0) and extended its Division II record winning streak to 35. Tabor ended its season 26-6.

“We had better ball movement in the second half, and I also thought we kind of got into a little rhythm,” Brooks said. “In the national tournament, there are jitters every game. We came out a little more relaxed (after halftime).”

Culp finished with 14 points, including four 3-pointers. Liz Howerth scored 26, including the first eight points of the game. Howerth added nine rebounds, four assists and two steals.

The Wildcats started the second half on a 10-2 run that gave them their first double digit lead of the game. After a 3-pointer by Brooke Amstutz with 12:25 to play, IWU never trailed by less that 11.

IWU hit 3 of 13 treys in the first half, as the Wildcats struggled to score against the Blue Jays’ zone defense. The Wildcats used a defense that forced Tabor into 12 turnovers to take a 27-22 halftime lead.

“You have to be on top of your game because (IWU) just doesn’t make many mistakes,” Tabor coach Rusty Allen said. “In the first half, we probably could have had a lead if we didn’t make so many turnovers. In the second half, we basically had to not turn the ball over to win.”

Next up for IWU is Hastings, which has won the national championship three out of the past five years. The Broncos play in the Great Plains Athletic Conference. The past six Division II champs are from the GPAC.

By Justin Bryant, IWU Sports Info
POINT LOOKOUT, MO—A late first half run, the strong bench play and freshman center Zach Coverstone sent the tenth seeded Indiana Wesleyan University men’s team past seventh seed Oregon Tech 95-82 Friday in the second round of the NAIA DII National Tournament.

Down by eight, the Wildcats (30-4) ended the first half with a 9-0 run to claim a 37-36 halftime lead. The Wildcats would never trail again.

“Once again, our bench was a part of that (the 9-0 run),” said IWU coach Greg Tonagel. “The key play to me was (Eugene Green’s) block at the end of regulation. We went into half with the lead and with motivation.”

The bench gave the IWU a boost of energy for the second game in a row led by freshman guard Ryan Hetrick’s 13 points.

“The bench play has kind of been suspect throughout the year,” said Hetrick, “and starting this tournament we’ve been playing really well. (We’re) playing aggressive and there is a lot energy coming off the bench now.”

Coverstone led the IWU’s offense with 20 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.

“Every game somebody has to step up that the opposing team doesn’t think will step up,” Coverstone said unselfishly. “And I just tried my best. I got good looks from the guys feeding me the ball and I just stepped into the role.”

Coverstone’s versatility presented problems for the Hustlin’ Owls all game.

“We wanted to get the ball inside (against Oregon Tech),” Tonagel said. “I thought Zach did a great job off the dribble, though. A lot of his stuff (points) came off the dribble from the high post. He’s tough because now he is learning to play away from the basket and with his back to the basket. He’s really developing.”

Ironically, the Wildcats’ defense played exceptionally well giving up 82 points. Oregon Tech is the sixth best scoring offense in NAIA DII averaging 86 points per game.

“They do a nice job of switching on screens,” said Oregon Tech coach Danny Miles of the Wildcats’ defense, “and it takes away the penetration a little bit. That’s the thing I was worried about yesterday watching them, I thought they were sound defensively and just a sound ball club. They don’t look as talented as some of the other team but I’ve heard all year that all they do is win and they did that again today.”

Oregon Tech’s Ryan Fiegi, Joshua Garrett, and Levell Hesia scored 63 of Oregon Tech’s 90 points on 57 percent shooting in their first round victory. The Wildcats held the trio to 53 combined points and stopped all other Hustlin’ Owls from scoring in double figures.

“We just wanted to really guard and make things difficult,” Tonagel said. “They’ve got three really good players and you’re not necessarily going to shut them down but you can make it difficult for them. And I thought our guys did that.”

The Wildcats advance to the Elite 8 where they will second seed MidAmerica Nazarene at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday.

By ADAM FISHER, Chronicle Tribune
acfisher@marion.gannett.com
SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Indiana Wesleyan’s shooters came to life in the second half today, lifting the top-seeded Wildcats to a 61-44 victory over Tabor (Kan.) in the second round of the NAIA Division II women’s basketball national tournament.

IWU faces Hastings (Neb.) at 1 p.m. Saturday in the national quarterfinals. Hastings (28-6), the second seed, beat No. 3 seed William Jewell 57-46 today.

After a first half that included four ties and seven lead changes, IWU took control with runs of 10-2 and 15-4 after halftime. The second run included eight straight points by Stephanie Culp and four 3-pointers by the Wildcats.

Indiana Wesleyan shot 3-of-13 from 3-point range in the first half, but made 5-of-11 from long range in the second.

Liz Howerth finished with 24 points to lead the Wildcats, who remained undefeated on the season (35-0). Culp added 14 points, including four threes.

With today’s victory, the Wildcats matched their deepest run into the national tournament. IWU made its only other quarterfinal appearance in 2005.

NAIA national tournament scores from Taylor's women's and IWU's men's games will be posted as soon as they end. For more on all of the games, read Saturday's Chronicle-Tribune.

By ADAM FISHER, Chronicle Tribune
acfisher@marion.gannett.com

SIOUX CITY, Iowa - With Indiana Wesleyan women's basketball star Liz Howerth continuing to win awards and break records, it can be hard for outsiders to see the importance of the team's other 14 players.

Wildcats coach Steve Brooks said Howerth, the school's all-time leading scorer in men's or women's history, is the best player that will ever suit up at IWU. But this year's team as a whole, he said, has more talent that any group he's coached in his eight seasons at the school.

"We're more athletic than we've ever been," Brooks said. "We're stronger physically than we've been. In my time at Indiana Wesleyan, this group is probably as strong as I've had."

Indiana Wesleyan uses a nine-person rotation, and 13 of the Wildcat's 15 players have seen regular playing time this year. Brooks said the core of the team's talent, however, begins with the five seniors.

Besides Howerth, who also ranks second in team history in rebounds and fourth in assists, there are four seniors that don't put up gaudy numbers, but play integral parts in IWU's success. The peripheral players, along with Howerth, have guided the undefeated Wildcats to a NAIA Division II record 34 straight wins and the school's fifth straight trip to the national tournament.

Indiana Wesleyan, the No. 1 team in the nation and the top seed in the tournament, won its first-round game Wednesday, beating St. Joseph (Vt.) 69-25. The Wildcats face No. 4 seed Tabor (Kan.) at 1 p.m. today.

"Liz is Liz," senior point guard Katrina Spitler said. "She's going to get her points, rebounds, steals and everything. She's a great all-around player. When everyone else can step up and do little things to help make her better and take the pressure of her, it makes us better as a team."
Spitler has started at point guard for four years, ranking fifth in team history in assists just three behind Howerth. When Brooks was asked to name the Wildcats' unsung heroes, Spitler was the first player that came to mind.

"People don't understand how much she means to this team," Brooks said. "She has the ability to lead on the floor. She thinks for the whole team. She's the head of the monster in a lot of ways."

While Spitler, as the point guard, is the on-court leader, the remaining three seniors each have their own specialized role.
Stephanie Culp is the defensive stopper. Sarah McGill is IWU's second scoring option when defenses focus on Howerth. Katy Hinkle provides a spark as the first player off the bench.

"Steph is probably the unsung hero," Spitler said. "She's definitely one of best defenders on the team. She does lot little things that help us win games."
Brooks said Culp guards the opponents' toughest perimeter player each game.

The coach also relies on the 5-foot-8 guard to cut to the basket on offense and knock down an occasional 3-pointer.
Culp, though, said McGill plays one of the more vital roles for the Wildcats.

After coming off the bench last season, McGill moved into the starting lineup this year. The 6-foot forward became a low-post presence for IWU averaging 10.7 points per game, second on the team behind Howerth (20.2). She also leads the Wildcats in blocks.
"She's completely changed levels this season," Culp said of McGill. "She's played with confidence. She's the scorer we go to when (Howerth) is getting triple-teamed."

When McGill became a starter, she pushed Hinkle, who started in last season, onto the bench. The move might have demoralized any other senior. The switch put McGill and Hinkle in a potentially awkward situation because they were roommates for three years.
But Brooks said he has been impressed with how Hinkle has adapted to her role coming off the bench. She's performed so well that Brooks calls the forward "generator" because she keeps the team going when she enters the game.

"There has to be days and nights where it has to be hard to have gone from playing 30 minutes a game to 15," Brooks said. "But (Hinkle) has accepted that very graciously and is all about this team. That kind of thing helps you have a season like we've had."

The deeper the Wildcats go into the national tournament, which runs through Tuesday, the more they will rely on their role players, Brooks said. As the competition gets tougher and opponents focus more and more on stopping Howerth, the rest of the IWU team becomes more important.
But the Wildcats are prepared and relish their individual roles. The five seniors, who have played together for four years, are ready to do anything they can to bring home a championship in their fourth and final trip to the national tournament.

"We've played so much together, we all can read each other really well," Culp said. "We've all grown into the roles that have been put forth for us. Everyone has something unique and equally important to give. That's what's exciting about our team."

By Justin Bryant, IWU Sports Info
POINT LOOKOUT, MO—Overcoming a sluggish start, the tenth seeded Indiana Wesleyan University men’s basketball ended the first half with a 12-0 run propelling them to a 80-54 victory over Aquinas College (MI) Thursday morning in first round of the NAIA DII National Tournament.

The Wildcats (29-4), who woke up at 6 a.m. for their 8:30 a.m. game, appeared a little slow to start the game as they fell behind early 7-0.

“I think jitters played a big part,” said sophomore guard Antonio Murrell, “but at the same time we weren’t rebounding and they were getting second chance points. And we weren’t scoring, so we kind of got off on the wrong foot.”

After a timeout, IWU went on a 14-6 to claim their first lead of the game at 14-13 behind the play of bench players Eugene Green (sr.) and Ryan Hetrick (fr.).

“Our bench was huge,” IWU coach Greg Tonagel said. “Ryan Hetrick played with confidence. Gene Green came in and they both gave us not only defense but point production.”

Green finished the game with only six points and three rebounds but none bigger than his first two from the free throw line that gave the Wildcats their first lead of the game.

“Those points were only two points,” Green said, “but they were big and I did score them. I guess you could say that those were energy points. I just try to feed off of the team and then the team feeds off of my energy.”

Murrell took over after that leading the Wildcats on a 12-0 run to end the half, finishing with a Murrell dunk to extend the IWU lead to 37-23.

Murrell scored a game-high 18 points after not scoring in the first five minutes. He also had a game-high five assists as the Saints (22-12) were unable to find a way to shut him down.

“In the beginning, I’m a pass first guy,” said Murrell of his play. “I try to get everybody involved then if I see an opportunity to attack I will. If I see that we aren’t executing well then I’ll try to shoot the ball.”

The Wildcats’ defense swarmed the Saints all night holding Aquinas to only 33 percent shooting. Saints’ leading scorer, Jeff Jayson, was held scoreless until two minutes left in the game.

“They tracked him (Jayson) real well,” Aquinas coach Dave Hammer. “I thought they switched and moved their feet real well. Jeff had some open looks but he didn’t make them. I thought Wesleyan did a really good job of bumping him off of his spot.”

IWU will play on Friday at noon against Oregon Tech, who defeated Northwood 90-72 on Thursday.

POINT LOOKOUT, Mo.
#10 Indiana Wesleyan defeated Aquinas College (Mich.), 80-54, in the first round of the 16th Annual NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship. The 2007 event is being held at the Keeter Gymnasium on the campus of College of the Ozarks (Mo.).
Aquinas scored the first seven points of the game but Indiana Wesleyan stormed back to tie the score at 13. With the score tied at 19, the Wildcats went on an 18-4 run at the end of the half to take a 37-23 lead at intermission. Indiana Wesleyan continued to build up their advantage in the second half behind some torrid shooting, making 68% of their field goal attempts from the floor.
Indiana Wesleyan had three players score in double figures, led by Antonio Murrell with 18. Jon Moon nailed 4-7 three point baskets en route to 16 points. Joel Tonagel added 14 points and was perfect from the three point line, making all four of his attempts. The Wildcats shot an incredible 66% for the game and an even better 69% from the three point line.
Aquinas was led by John Lierman with 18 points. Johnny Martin chipped in 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds. The Saints could not find their shooting touch as they made just 33% of their field goal attempts. The Saints finish the season with a 22-12 overall mark.
Indiana Wesleyan, who won their first ever Mid-Central Conference Championship and set a school record for most wins in a season, improves to 29-4 overall. They will play the winner of the #7 Oregon Tech/Northwood (Fla.) contest in the second round on Friday, March 9 at noon.

By ADAM FISHER, Chronicle Tribune
acfisher@marion.gannett.com

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Indiana Wesleyan performed like a No. 1 seed is expected to against the lowest-rated team in the 32-team field Wednesday at the NAIA Division II women’s basketball tournament.

The Wildcats, the top-ranked team in the national polls, scored the game’s first 11 points on their way to a 69-25 rout of St. Joseph (Vt.) in the first round of the national tournament. Indiana Wesleyan plays Tabor (Kan.) at noon Friday in the second round.

IWU’s defense set a Division II tournament record by holding the Saints to the lowest point total in the 16-year history of the event. The previous was set in 2005 when Cedarville (Ohio) held Lyndon State (Vt.) to 33 points.

The Wildcats’ defense helped out an offense that shot 40 percent from the field. IWU (34-0) forced 26 turnovers and held the Saints (16-15) to 18 percent shooting and eight field goals.

“It was a good start for us,” Wildcats’ forward Sarah McGill said. “We wanted to come out, pick up the intensity and set the stage for the rest of the tournament.”

McGill and Liz Howerth each scored 13 points to lead IWU. Howerth added a three steals, three assists and a team-high nine rebounds.

St. Joseph’s 25 points is the fewest for an IWU opponent since the Wildcats beat Goshen 52-28 on Nov. 21. Indiana Wesleyan’s best defensive game was Nov. 11 when the Wildcats beat St. Gregory’s 55-15.

“We’re not going to blow people out it’s not our style of play,” Wildcats coach Steve Brooks said. “If we blow somebody out, it’s kind of like this game where we’re just decidedly better.”

Eleven players scored for Indiana Wesleyan, and 14 players saw action Wednesday. Brooke Amstutz came off the bench to score 10 points, all in the second half, and grab seven rebounds.

The Saints had one field goal in the first 15 minutes as IWU got out to a 24-3 lead. The Wildcats led 30-9 at halftime. St. Joseph didn’t reach double figures scoring until five minutes into the second half.

“I wish the game would have been a better game,” Brooks said. “I just felt like we didn’t play with (enough) enthusiasm or emotion. Of course, in a (blowout) like that, it’s hard to get people excited. It’s hard to get people cheering.”

St. Joseph entered the tournament with the worst record at 16-14. The Saints made the field by winning the Sunrise Conference tourney.

The Saints, who also made the national tournament in 2000 and 2001, were playing with just eight active players and a first-year coach. Three of the team members weren’t basketball players at the start of the season. Coach Robert Larson brought them in from other sports to fill out St. Joseph’s roster.

“We’ve been in transition for some years,” Larson said. “Keeping some continuity and building the program is what we’ve been looking to do.”

Tabor advanced to Friday’s second-round matchup by beating No. 5 seed Cardinal Stritch 46-41 in the first game of the tournament Wednesday. The Blue Jays are 26-5 and earned an at-large bid to the national tournament from the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa - No. 1 seed Indiana Wesleyan cruised to a 69-25 victory over No. 8 seed Saint Joseph (Vt.) in the first round of 16th annual NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship at the Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena in Sioux City, Iowa.
 
Indiana Wesleyan (34-0), who held the No.1 ranking the entire season, opened up an early lead (11-0) and never looked back en route to a 21-point cushion at intermission. Saint Joseph (16-15), who had nine first half points, was held to just three field goals in opening frame.
 
Eleven different players scored for the Wildcats of Indiana Wesleyan, three going for double figures: Sarah McGill (13), Liz Howerth (13) and Sarah Branham (10).Howerth just missed a double double with nine rebounds.
 
As team the undefeated Wildcats shot 40.3 percent from the field and out-rebounded the Fighting Saints by eight. Indian Wesleyan struggled from the floor all game, hitting on just 17.8 percent of their attempts from the field.

Indiana Wesleyan advances to the second round and will play Tabor, a 46-41 winner over Cardinal Stritch earlier in the tournament. That game is scheduled to tip off at Noon on Friday, March 8.

By Justin Bryant, IWU Sports Info

BRANSON, MO—Two seasons the ago, the Indiana Wesleyan University men’s basketball team was ranked ninth in the Mid-Central College Conference and did not even make the conference tournament.

Now, the Wildcats (28-4) have made a turnaround that has them ranked ninth in NAIA DII and the tenth seed at the NAIA DII National Tournament in Point Lookout Missouri.

“We’ve come a long way,” says Wildcat guard Joel Tonagel, the only senior starter, “from getting no respect a couple years ago to now being here in this atmosphere and feeling like we are one of the elite teams in the country.”

The Wildcat’s transition from the bottom of the conference to being one of the top ten teams in the nation coincides with the hiring coach Greg Tonagel. But coach Tonagel gives the credit to his players.

“First and foremost, a lot of (the turnaround) has to do with the players and what they’ve done and accomplished,” says Tonagel. “We really have challenged these guys to work hard, believe in themselves and believe in what we were asking them to do. I think we pushed them pretty hard and they’ve responded well. And we were fortunate enough to really recruit some talented kids.”

Besides Joel Tonagel, the starters consist of all coach Tonagel recruits including freshmen Zach Coverstone and DeJovaun Sawyer-Davis and sophomores Jon Moon and Antonio Murrell.

“Coach influenced me (to come to IWU) just with playing time,” Murrell says of his decision to come to IWU, “and hopefully making the turnaround and making a difference. Also because it is a Christian school.”

The young players contributions have played a major factor but maybe more importantly has been the play of the players remaining from the Wildcats’ team that finished last in the MCC during the 2004-2005 season.

“Recruiting is a major part of what we do,” Tonagel says. “But also you talk a lot about the recruiting but the returning guys really stepped up and we have some solid guys. In Joel (Tonagel), he really set the tone for hard work in what he did and Jared Boser doing things on the defensive end. So (the turnaround) was a mix of recruiting and a mix of returning guys working very hard.”

That combination of players has been a record setting one for the Indiana Wesleyan men’s basketball program: most wins in a season overall (28), most conference wins in a season (14), first ever MCC championship, and first ever trip to the NAIA DII National Tournament.

By Justin Bryant, IWU Sports Info

BRANSON, MO—The NAIA DII ninth ranked Indiana Wesleyan University’s men’s basketball team started the first leg of their two day trip to Point Lookout, Missouri for the NAIA DII National Tournament Sunday afternoon.

Leaving the parking lot of the Recreation and Wellness Center at 2 p.m., the Wildcats watched some game film before reclining into their seats for the long trip to St. Louis. The team arrived at their hotel in St. Louis around 8 p.m. and then held a team meeting before reporting to bed at 10:30 p.m. curfew.

The Wildcats spent the next morning practicing at Saint Louis University. IWU’s red practice jerseys clashed against the Billiken blue that covered the bleachers, walls, and court in the St. Louis practice facility. The team arrived at Comfort Inn in Branson, Missouri around 6:30 p.m. where they will spend the night relaxing before getting up early for practice Tuesday morning.

The Wildcats will play their first round game Thursday morning at 8.30 against Aquinas College (MI).

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has released its 32-team bracket for the 16th-Annual NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament, which will begin play Wednesday, March 7, in Sioux City, Iowa.
 
The tournament will take place at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, and the 30 games prior to the championship game will be video streamed live on the Internet. Additionally, the national championship game will air live nationwide on CSTV, with Ann Schatz calling the action play-by-play and Amy Lawrence providing in-depth analysis.

Click To Download a PDF version of the Women's Brackets.
Click To Download a PDF version of the Men's Brackets.

By Justin Bryant, IWU Sports Info
The NAIA DII #1 Indiana Wesleyan University women’s basketball team cut down the nets Monday night after defeating third ranked University of St. Francis 58-49 to claim the championship in the Mid-Central College Conference Tournament.

IWU All-American Liz Howerth had a game-high 21 points and ten rebounds. Howerth shot seven of fourteen from the field including one for one from behind the arc. She was six of eight from behind the free throw line.

Katrina Spitler hit crucial 3-pointers throughout out the game including one in the first half with the shot clock winding down and Spitler a couple feet behind the line. She finished as the only other Wildcat in double figures with ten points.

The Cougars (26-7) were led by forward Marie Kaufman who came off the bench to score 18 points and gather down seven rebounds.

St. Francis coach Gary Andrews received two technicals. The first sparked his team in the first half as they went on a 13-6 run to end the half. The second technical did not prove quite as effective as IWU went on a 9-2 run to make the score 49-38 with five minutes remaining in the game.

IWU (33-0) thwarted one last St. Francis run that narrowed the score to 53-49 with two Spitler free throws, a fast break Stephanie Culp lay-up and a Brooke Amstutz sealed the deal for the Wildcats’ victory and championship.

The victory secures an automatic bid for the Wildcats in the NAIA National Tournament on March 7-13.