Cedarville University

NAIA Division II Final Ranking - 5th

27-7 (.794) Overall
15-3 (.833) American Mideast Conference South Division

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
   NAIA Division II Final Four
   American Mideast Conference Champions
   AMC South Division Champions

Smart signs pro contract to play in Belgium

CEDARVILLE, Ohio (7-26-2007) - Cedarville University graduate Brittany Smart has signed a one-year contract to play women's professional basketball in Belgium. The 5-foot-9 guard heads to Europe in late September to join the Point Chaud Basketball Club which competes in the highest division of women's basketball in the country.

"It has been a long process to be in a position to play professionally and I am grateful that God has given me this opportunity," said Smart, who is a Springfield native. "It will be challenging to play at a higher level and very exciting."

Smart assembled some staggering numbers during her career at Cedarville in which she set 23 career, season, and single-game records. Her 3,236 points is the top mark all-time in NAIA Division II and she is the Ohio college women's basketball career scoring leader for all divisions. Smart was a three-time NAIA All-American and the NAIA Division II National Player of the Year last season as a senior.

The springboard to Belgium, however, came in June when Smart was named MVP of the Coates Sports Management Pro Basketball Exposure Camp in Boston. The two-day event attracted approximately 70 women including several NCAA Division I players, current pro players from overseas, and a few WNBA draftees. It was designed to give players with professional basketball aspirations the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of various pro scouts, coaches, and agents.

As a result of her showing at the camp, Smart received ten offers from various Europeans teams before selecting Point Chaud which is located in Sprimont, Belgium. She will be the lone American playing for the club whose roster consists primarily of Belgian players.

While the experience in Belgium may lead to opportunities to play basketball at an even higher level for Smart, it is not the only reason that motivates her.

"I have a passion to use basketball as a ministry," she explained. "It is the Lord who has given me the ability and I want to use it glorify Jesus Christ.

"This is a decision that I would regret if I didn't try it. While basketball is my job for now, God has given me a peace about playing professionally and I'm willing to follow in whatever direction He chooses to lead."

Smart named MVP of pro basketball exposure camp

CEDARVILLE, Ohio (6-25-2007) - Cedarville University graduate Brittany Smart, who is the reigning NAIA Division II National Player of the Year, was recently selected MVP of the Coates Sports Management Pro Basketball Exposure Camp in Boston.

Smart, a 5-foot-9 guard, was one of approximately 70 women to take part in the event on June 16-17 which included several NCAA Division I players, current pro players from overseas, and a few WNBA draftees. It was designed to give players with professional basketball aspirations the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of various pro scouts, coaches, and agents.

Smart finished her four-year career at Cedarville as the all-time leading scorer in NAIA Division II with 3,236 points. That total is also the top mark ever recorded in Ohio women's college basketball history covering all divisions. Smart graduated with 23 Lady Jacket career, season, and single game records to her credit.

Beougher honored with President's Trophy

Smart tabbed NAIA National Player of the Year

CEDARVILLE, Ohio (3-14-2007) - Lady Jacket guard Brittany Smart has been named the NAIA Division II National Player of the Year. The 5-foot-9 senior from Springfield, Ohio is a three-time NAIA All-America First Team selection.

Smart led the nation with an average of 28.4 points per game. She finished her career as the all-time leading scorer in NAIA Division II with 3,236 points. Smart holds national tournament records for most points scored (405), most field goals made (139), and most free throws made (100). She also rates second in rebounds with 130.

Karah Walton, a 5-11 senior guard from Westerville, Ohio, was recognized as All-America honorable mention. She averaged 10.1 points this season and tallied 1,331 career points. [NAIA DIVISION II ALL-AMERICA TEAM]

Beougher heads trio of CU scholar-athletes

CEDARVILLE, Ohio (3-12-2007) - Kristi Beougher and Alisha Lee have been selected NAIA and American Mideast Conference Scholar-Athletes for the 2006-07 campaign. The twosome was joined on the NCCAA Scholar-Athlete unit by Stacie Travis. NAIA and AMC Scholar-Athletes are juniors and seniors who maintain a minimum 3.50 cumulative grade point average. The NCCAA minimum is 3.40.

Beougher, a senior youth ministry major from Louisville, Ky., is a repeat scholar-athlete selection. Lee is a junior psychology major from Greenfield, Ohio. Travis, a senior multi-age physical education major from Virginia Beach, Va., was chosen to the NCCAA squad for a second straight time. [NAIA SCHOLAR-ATHLETES and NCCAA SCHOLAR-ATHLETES]

Additionally, Beougher was one of five players chosen to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 4 College Division First Team. The squad is selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). [AMC SCHOLAR-ATHLETES and ESPN The Magazine All-District Team (pdf)]

Smart is NCCAA National Co-Player of the Year

CEDARVILLE, Ohio (3-12-2007) - Brittany Smart has been selected the Kathy Freese Co-Player of the Year in NCCAA Division I for 2006-07. She shares the award with Indiana Wesleyan senior forward Liz Howerth.

Smart averaged 28.4 points per game and finished her career as NAIA Division II's all-time leading scorer with 3,236 points. She is the second Lady Jacket to win the NCCAA award which is named in honor of the former CU women's head coach. Kari Flunker was named the recipient following the 2004-05 season. [NCCAA ALL-AMERICANS]

Smart repeats as AMC Player of the Year; Walton, Beougher honored

CEDARVILLE, Ohio (3-2-2007) - Cedarville senior Brittany Smart has been selected the American Mideast Conference South Division Player of the Year for the second consecutive time in voting by the league's coaches. It marks the sixth year in a row that a Lady Jacket has earned the award. Kirsten Rossotti (2002, 2003) and Kari Flunker (2004, 2005) were the previous recipients.

Smart, a 5-foot-9 guard, leads NAIA Division II nationally in scoring at 28.6 points per game and averages 7.1 rebounds. She currently has 3,127 career points and earlier became the all-time leading scorer in NAIA Division II. The five-time AMC champion Lady Jackets, 24-6 overall, are one of four #1 seeds for the national tournament in Sioux City, Iowa on March 7-13.

Karah Walton, a 5-11 senior point guard, was named to the All-AMC South Second Team while Kristi Beougher, a six-foot senior forward, earned a spot on the Third Team. Walton averages 10.1 points with Beougher adding 10.5 points and a team-high 8.6 rebounds. Alison Lemon, a 5-7 guard, grabbed a spot on the All-AMC South Freshmen Team. [ALL-AMC SOUTH DIVISION TEAM and ALL-FRESHMEN TEAM]

Seniors honored following final home game

'Family' experience a key to Brittany Smart's career

by Jim Sawin, sports information intern

CEDARVILLE, Ohio (2-15-2007) - Brittany Smart has already established herself as not only one of the greatest athletes in Cedarville University history, but also as one of the best college basketball players all-time in the NAIA and the state of Ohio. Smart recently surpassed 3,000 career points on Feb. 10, a week after becoming the NAIA Division II all-time leading scorer. [FULL STORY]

Patience pays dividends on the court for Stacie Travis

by Jim Clark, asst. sports information dir.

CEDARVILLE, Ohio (2-8-2007) - It is a story that many sports fans can identify with. An athlete faithfully fills a role on the bench, waits patiently for a chance and when that opportunity comes, steps up to find success as an integral part of the team. Four years ago when Stacie Travis set her 5-foot 4-inch frame on the campus of Cedarville University, few people had any idea of the impact she would have on the Lady Jacket basketball program. [FULL STORY]

Success and growth define CU hoop career for Karah Walton

by Jim Sawin, sports information intern

CEDARVILLE, Ohio (2-1-2007) - Karah Walton is considered by many to be the best all-around athlete to ever wear a women's basketball uniform at Cedarville University. Add the fact that 5-foot-11 point guards are unheard of at the NAIA level makes it easier to understand why the presence of the All-American has been key to the Lady Jackets' accomplishments. She was prepped at Worthington (Ohio) Christian High School near Columbus and it took a friend to introduce her to CU during her sophomore year. [FULL STORY]

Basketball just one part of life for Kristi Beougher

by Mark Womack, sports information director

CEDARVILLE, Ohio (1-25-2007) - It has been an incredible basketball experience at Cedarville University to this point for Kristi Beougher. The Lady Jackets have averaged 33 wins per season during her career with three American Mideast Conference championships, three straight trips to the NAIA Division II national tournament, and a weekly spot near the top of the national rankings. [FULL STORY]

Head Coach

Kirk Martin

Assistant Coaches

Lori Huckaby
Dan Schetter
Lynsey Fabian

E-Mail

Basketball Facts

• NAIA Division II National Runner-Up: 2004, 2005
• NAIA Elite Eight: 2006
• NAIA Sweet 16: 2003
• AMC Champions:
  2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
• 30 All-Americans and 39 Scholar-Athletes