WINONA LAKE, Ind. – It took the Mid-America Christian University women's basketball team 11 years to return to the top of the NCCAA Women's Basketball heap, but on Saturday afternoon, the Lady Evangels staked their claim to just that.
MACU (24-11) claimed their third NCCAA National Championship, and their first since moving to NCCAA Division I for the 2007-08 season, by claiming a 71-60 win over the Concordia University (Mich.) Cardinals (22-14).
"I am just so proud of the young ladies in our program," said head coach Hannah Moeller after the game. "One of the things we say a lot is 'starting committed is really easy, but staying committed is really hard.' To see the group of girls in that locker room stay committed to each other, to our staff, and to a relentless desire to improve all year is such a testament to the overall character and toughness of our group."
MACU started slowly in the game, as Concordia scored the first six points of the afternoon. The Cardinals led 10-2 just 3:06 into the game, but Chelseah Savage cashed in a conventional 3-point play after a MACU timeout to trim the deficit to 10-5. After a turnover from Kari Borowiak, the Lady Evangels pulled to within three on a pair of free throws from Jessica Fairley, but Concordia scored eight of the next 12 points to push their lead back to seven at 18-11 with 4:08 remaining in the first quarter. In the final four minutes, though, the Lady Evangels locked the Cardinals down defensively, and MACU closed the half on an 11-0 run to take a 20-18 lead.
Mid-America did not trail again.
The lead remained small for much of the second quarter, and twice the lead was reduced to one, but each time, MACU answered to stretch the lead again. The Lady Evangels closed the first half on a 7-0 run to take a 39-30 lead into the break at the half, but they knew there was more work to do.
The lead quickly reached 10 points on a 3-pointer from Savage early in the second half, but Concordia pulled to within five at the 5:44 mark, and the margin remained modest until a 6-2 spurt late in the third period pushed the lead to 11 at 52-41. Concordia used a 10-2 run that spanned the quarter break to pull to within three at 54-51, but the Lady Evangels answered with a 10-3 run to restore a double-digit lead, and Mid-America put the game away in the final three minutes of regulation, pulling away to a 71-60 victory.
Moeller was named NCCAA Division I National Coach of the Year, but she was quick to deflect the credit to her assistant coaches. "Kelsie [Dutton] and Brooke [Davidson] don't get nearly enough credit for their role in our program," she said. "I am beyond grateful for how they've committed their lives to serving our program and the young women we're fortunate enough to coach."
Moeller noted Dutton's contributions to the Lady Evangels' success in the tournament specifically as well. "Kelsie had all three scouts this week," Moeller noted, "and we couldn't have been more prepared. She did a tremendous job preparing our team for each game."
Savage led all scorers in the game with 19 on her way to being named Player of the Tournament. Ossyana Ozoani posted a double-double in the game, as she scored 11 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to earn a place on the All-Tournament Team. Nevada Denton (12) and Fairley (11) were also in double-figures.
MACU did not shoot the ball well in the title game, as they made only 20-of-70 (28.6%) of their shots from the floor and 4-of-21 (19%) from long range. They did, however, shoot well from the charity stripe, and the Lady Evangels shot the free throws in volume as well, as they made 27-of-36 (75%) from the foul line in the game. The Lady Evangels held the advantage in four of the five enhanced scoring categories as well. The Lady Evangels outscored the Cardinals 15-8 in points off turnovers, 30-18 in the paint, 18-7 in second chance points, and 14-5 off the bench.
The win brings to an end the careers of Savage and fellow senior Brittany Thompson. Their leadership played a big role in the development of the team into a title contender, a fact that is not lost on Moeller.
"We're so grateful to have two seniors who led so unselfishly and gave our program their best every day," she opined. "They're very different in how they lead, but they are two of the best leaders I've been around. What happened here today is a direct result of their leadership and how they have served their teammates all year."
MACU finishes the season with a record of 24-11.
