The North Central Missouri College women’s basketball team finished up the 2006-07 season on Saturday in the fifth place game at the NJCAA, Division II National Tournament. The Lady Pirates lost to Carl Sandburg College, 63-52, ending the most successful season in NCMC history.
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North Central set the school record for wins in a season with 30. The Lady Pirates also picked up their first-ever win in the national tournament and finished sixth, which was also a season best. NCMC collected four post-season wins and won the NJCAA B.J. Graber Sportsmanship Award at the national tournament.
“We did some great things this year. This will help us continue the growth of our basketball program here at NCMC,” Head Coach James Arnold said. “To win the regional championship, district championship and a spot in the national tournament was huge. It was even better to take it a step further and win a tournament game and to accomplish a 30-win season.”
The Lady Pirates lost to a strong Mott Community College in the opening game of the tournament on Thursday and entered Friday’s contest with the Community College of Rhode Island with a lot to prove. North Central weathered a furious comeback to beat the Lady Knights, 79-77.
In the fifth-place game, NCMC faced Carl Sandburg Community College. The Chargers entered the tournament ranked second in the nation but were upended by Kankakee Community College in the quarterfinals.
The Lady Chargers came in with a clear game plan – keep Tiara Johnson and Amber Vandevender from beating them. That plan worked as Carl Sandburg held North Central’s dominant back-court to only five points on 2-of-19 shooting from the floor. The Chargers did not allow either player to get a shot off from three-point range in the game.
“We were able to get a nice win over a good Rhode Island team and we had lots of opportunities in the other two games,” Arnold said. “It was a great opportunity for us to be among the best of the best – to see where we are and where we want to be.”
NCMC vs. CCRI
Vandevender came out on fire on Friday after struggling in the Lady Pirates’ opener. The sophomore guard hit 9-of-12 shots from two-point range and led North Central with 22 points. The Lady Pirates got 12 points and six rebounds from freshman Jillian Palan before she fouled out of the game.
Sophomore Amber Jordan scored 17 points. Johnson did not have a big night scoring, but helped the Lady Pirates on the defensive glass, where she had 12 defensive rebounds. Johnson finished with a total of 14 rebounds, eight assists and three steals.
“We came in (to the tournament) ranked sixth nationally in the final regular season poll and we matched that, which certainly gives us a sense of validation,” Arnold said. “I feel like we were clearly in the top six. I would have ranked us anywhere between the third-, fourth-, fifth- or sixth-best teams in the nation. Kirkwood was clearly the top team in the country. Mott proved to be in the top three as did Carl Sandburg.”
The Knights were led by Denise Scott with 23 points. The win set up a fifth place match-up for NCMC with the Lady Chargers.
NCMC vs. CSCC
The Lady Pirates were able to get the ball inside to Palan and often. The Lady Pirates’ forward had been shackled with foul trouble in the first two games of the tournament but on Saturday she was solid. Palan scored 20 points on 10-of-13 shooting.
The Lady Pirates also did a nice job defensively on the Lady Chargers in the first half, holding them to just 10 baskets and less than 30 percent shooting. On the other hand, NCMC was having trouble getting Johnson on track. Her shooting struggles continued in the second half and that proved damaging for the Lady Pirates.
NCMC went into halftime leading 25-22, but would see that slim lead disappear in the second half. Carl Sandburg outscored the Lady Pirates in the second half, 41-27.
Johnson continued to help North Central in other areas, collecting 11 rebounds and dishing out five assists, but she only finished with three points. Vandevender also struggled scoring, finishing with just two points. She kept battling, however, helping with five assists and four steals.
“As a group of players and coaches, we got the chance to see what it takes to get to the top, with the Kirkwood’s and Mott’s – it was a great learning experience,” Arnold said. “I am so proud of these girls and the things we accomplished this season. I knew we had a chance to be good, but with hard work, dedication and tremendous teamwork, this group exceeded most expectations.”
Jordan, who was the most consistent scorer throughout the tournament, had 12 points. Her effort landed her on the all-tournament team.
“A.J. has been big-time for us all year long and sometimes didn’t get the attention she deserved,” Arnold said. “This honor is huge and her performance throughout the entire playoffs was key to our success.”
Other Honors,
Stat & Notables
Despite their 1-2 record, the Lady Pirates can be found all over the tournament stat books. Palan finished seventh overall in scoring with 17.7 points per game. Jordan was 14th with 14.7 points per game.
Johnson finished second in total rebounds with 35 (11.7 per game). She was also third in assists with 22 (7.3 per game). Kristen Buhrmeister finished with 24 total rebounds (8.0 per game).
The B.J. Graber Sportsmanship Award is an important award for the Lady Pirates.
“What a tremendous honor for our women’s basketball program, NCMC and our entire community,” Arnold said. “We had a wonderful season and it’s great to be recognized not only for our on-court performances, but to also be recognized for our conduct on and off the floor. The award speaks volumes for what great all-around people these young women are.”
The sophomores finish their career with a 55-14 record. Returning next year will be Palan, Taurren Ireland, Whitney Hanes, and Mandy Monkman.
“We had the largest crowd in Phoenix and we heard tons of positive comments about our fan base,” Arnold commented. “We also knew that there were loads of people back home listening on the radio and following our progress on the Internet and in the newspaper. Our community support makes my job so much easier in many ways, especially with recruiting. We look forward to another great season next year.”