Women's Basketball
3/15/2008 - Royals Come Up Just Short in NCCAA Finals
Oakland City, IN- Hope International Women’s Basketball, playing in their first NCCAA National Finals, came up just short as they fell to the Yellow Jackets of Cedarville 80-77 in overtime. Senior Jasmine Nault and Junior Sarah Nylander combined for 53 points.
Though the Royals found themselves down by two at halftime (34-32), they managed to build a double digit lead in the second half. However, the Yellow Jackets played possibly their best basketball of the season in the closing minutes and came back to force overtime with the game knotted 72 all.
As a team basically built around a 5 or 6 player rotation for most of the later part of the season, the depth of the Royals was severely tested in the Finals- especially in the overtime period. Senior Cynthia Hernandez, Junior Stephanie Wenke, and Freshman Kasey Martin all fouled out of the game in the extra session. The depleted (and exhausted) Royals were out scored 8-5 in overtime.
The Yellow Jackets hit 9 three pointers in the second half and overtime to help their cause.
Nault played her final collegiate game like she has her whole career- shoot, shoot, and shoot while trying to draw contact and get to the free throw line. She finished with a game high 27 points on 8-24 shooting while hitting 11-15 from the line. She also grabbed 14 rebounds to complete her 14th double-double of the season.
She was named to the All-NCCAA Tournament team but made a solid case for tournament MVP (regardless of being on the 1st or 2nd place team). She averaged 29.7 points and 11 rebounds while playing all 125 minutes of the Royals’ three games.
Nylander came to play in the season’s final game as well as she set a new career high in points with 26 on the strength of a career tying 7 three pointers. She went the distance by playing all 45 minutes of the game.
Freshman Brittani Philbrook, also named to the All Tournament team, knocked 12 points while pulling down 10 rebounds and dishing a team high 6 assists in 45 minutes of action. For the tournament, she averaged 14.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 4 assists per game while playing 121 of the possible 125 minutes.
The game’s overall numbers almost completely went in favor of the Yellow Jackets as they out shot the Royals 40.6% to 37.3% while out rebounding them 50-44. Both teams missed 11 free throws with the Royals hitting just 60.7% from the charity stripe (they averaged 75.7% as a team for the season). The Royals did force the Yellow Jackets into 22 turnovers while just committing 11 themselves (though 3 or 4 came in the overtime session).
The Yellow Jackets used a balanced attack to pull out the win as 4 of their 5 starters (and one off the bench) finished in double figures. Alison Lemon did a great job orchestrating the offense as she finished with 16 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists. Audrey Siemon had a huge game on the boards as she pulled down 17 (including 10 offensive boards) to go along with 14 points. Bayley Nosal, Rachel Hurley, and Lydia Miller all finished with 11 points or more.
The Royals concluded their season with a record of 19 wins versus 17 losses. The Yellow Jackets complete their championship season with a 17-14 record.