Concordia College Alabama wins 4th USCAA Women's D1 Basketball National Championship
#3 Robert Morris University-Springfield 60 - #8 Concordia College Alabama 69
For the second time in three years, the Concordia College Alabama Lady Hornets are the USCAA Women’s Division I National Champions. The Lady Hornets rode another strong performance from Tournament MVP Tykeria Johnson to a 69-60 victory over #3 Robert Morris University-Springfield.
Johnson, who entered the game with a 28-point performance against Iowa Wesleyan in the quarterfinals and a 22-point effort against The Apprentice School in the semifinals, tacked on 29 more points against the Lady Eagles and added 12 rebounds (her second double-double of the tournament). Teammate Lashay Lettingham had 17 points to bring her tournament total to 59. Lettingham and Gaybriel Garrett grabbed twelve rebounds apiece for Concordia.
Robert Morris University-Springfield was in control for most of the first half, but it seemed like every time the Lady Eagles tried to pull away Johnson made plays to keep their team in the game. With Robert Morris leading 17-11 midway through the first-half, Johnson scored 8 of the team’s next 21 points to erase the deficit and give her team an 8-point lead at halftime.
In the second-half the Lady Hornets defense took over, holding Robert Morris University-Springfield to 31.4% shooting and forcing 8 turnovers. Looking for their institution’s first USCAA basketball National Championship, the Lady Eagles made a run late in the second half. Down 48-39 with 11 minutes remaining, the Lady Eagles’ Laci Porter hit a three-pointer and Trace Osby connected on a pair of free throws before USCAA 1st Team All-American Cassandra Baker tallied seven straight points to tie the game with just over eight minutes remaining. However, Johnson would answer with six straight points of her own to put the game in the hands of her team’s defense down the stretch, and propel her team to victory.
Baker finished an exceptional tournament for the Lady Eagles with 15 points (all in the second half) and 9 rebounds. USCAA 2nd Team All-American Marquichea Burns chipped in 15 points and Osby added 12 points off the bench for the Lady Eagles. Robert Morris University-Springfield finishes their season with a record of 16-8.
Concordia College Alabama’s fourth USCAA Women’s Basketball National Championships may have been their most memorable. Entering the tournament on a seven game winning streak that followed an uneven start to the season, the eight-seeded Lady Hornets upset #1 Iowa Wesleyan College and gutted out a hard fought victory over perennial contender The Apprentice School before finishing their season holding the National Championship trophy.
2014 Women’s Division I All-Tournament Team
Annie Artise – Ave Maria University
Cassandra Baker – Robert Morris University-Springfield
Tracy Osby – Robert Morris University-Springfield
Erica Ousley – Concordia College Alabama
Lashay Lettingham – Concordia College Alabama
2014 Women’s Division I Tournament MVP
Tykeria Johnson – Concordia College Alabama
-USCAA