LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Feb. 28, 2009) – Confidence.
Competitive. Calm. Knowing what was on the line, the Occidental
College Women's Basketball team did tonight something that
has never before been done in school history. A 51-37 victory over
the University of La Verne, not only clinched the 2009 Southern
California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Post Season
Tournament Championship Game, but also earned the Tigers the right
to represent the SCIAC in the NCAA Division III Post Season, which
will begin next week.
The atmosphere at Rush Gymnasium was electric. From the music
blaring to the Drumline's performance, to the student section
to the visiting bleachers to the benches and players on both sides.
Everything fell in favor of the Tigers tonight as they were able
to maintain their composure after early jitters shone through for
both teams.
Occidental (22-5) got the low scoring opening stanza started
with five points from Madeline Rose who assisted
on the third bucket of the game as well. La Verne took its only
lead of the game at the 7:09 mark when Emily Carillo, who finished
with a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double, scored to put ULV up
12-11. Oxy then closed out the half on a 10-2 run.
The combination of poor shooting by the Leopards (26.9%) and
tough defense from the Tigers (forcing 12 turnovers, which led to
seven points) allowed Oxy to build a seven-point, 21-14, lead at
the break.
Occidental also struggled from the field in the opening 20
minutes, shooting just 33.3%. But in the second period they figured
out a way to get the ball inside to Stephanie
Babij who scored a game high 16 points as the Tigers
combined for 32 points in the paint (18 in the second half). Early
in the second half Oxy opened a 34-20 lead on four consecutive
layups in the paint.
La Verne (17-9) pulled within eight at 43-35 with just under two
minutes to play in regulation, but Occidental held the Leopards
scoreless for the next five minutes and were 8-for-8 on free-throw
attempts down the stretch to re-open the double figure lead they
maintained throughout much of the second half.
After a disappointing opening half, Dior
Williams took the Tigers on her back to shoot 3-for-5 from
the field as she finished with 13 points, adding five steals and
four rebounds. Britinee Yasukochi led all players
with four assists while Rose and Asha Jordan
dished out three apiece.
Defense wins. In the end, Oxy forced 20 Leo turnovers, and
Gillian Nugent recorded a pair of blocks, while
pulling down four rebounds. Occidental finished with 43 rebounds
while ULV had 37, but the Tigers more than doubled up the Leopards
on their own end of the court with 14 offensive boards.
Babij led the Tigers with nine rebounds while Jordan nabbed
seven (three offensive) and Brianne Brown tallied
six (four offensive) adding five points, a steal and a block.
La Verne was paced by Carillo, Clarissa Holz (10 points, seven
rebounds) and Ashley Paul (eight points). Senior Trenecca Jones
pitched in with six points, five rebounds and two steals before
fouling out with 32 seconds left.
Tonight served as a re-match, not only of last weekend's
SCIAC finale, but of the Inaugural SCIAC Tournament Championship.
After seeing their hopes of moving on to the post season slip away
a year ago at the hands of the Leopards, who won 79-51 on March 1,
2008, Occidental College was determined not to
allow that to happen again this year, and they did not.
Monday morning, March 2, the NCAA Division III Women's
Basketball Championships selection show to announce the brackets
will be available at 8:00 a.m. (PST) via www.NCAA.org.
