2006-07 Game Recaps
March 12, Indiana Wesleyan - (16th Annual NAIA Division II National Tournament - Semifinals)
Unbeaten Indiana Wesleyan shot a blistering 75 percent in the first half and 62 percent for the game to send the Lady Jackets home, 93-56, in the NAIA Division II semifinals. The Wildcats, 37-0, move on to make their first appearance in the title game while the Lady Jackets, who end the year at 27-7, missed out on playing for the championship since their 2004 and 2005 runner-up finishes. IWU never trailed in jumping to leads of 12-2 and 23-6 in the first eight minutes. A 15-8 run to close the half made it 49-31 at the intermission. The Wildcats made 16-of-18 two-point shots in the opening 20 minutes and then kept up the torrid shooting in the second half by knocking down 6-of-8 three-pointers. Brittany Smart wrapped up her storied career as the only CU player in double figures with 30 points. She is NAIA Division II's all-time scoring leader with 3,236 points and the national tournament's all-time leader with 405 points. Smart was named to the National All-Tournament First Team. She along with classmates Kristi Beougher, Stacie Travis, and Karah Walton enjoyed four-year careers with the Lady Jackets that amounted to a 126-16 record, two national runner-up finishes, one Final Four appearance, one Elite Eight showing, and four American Mideast Conference titles. [STATS and NATIONAL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM]
March 10, Taylor - (16th Annual NAIA Division II National Tournament - Quarterfinals)
Cedarville rallied in the second half to defeat Taylor, 64-55, to move on to the NAIA Division II Final Four for the third time in four years. The Lady Jackets square off with unbeaten Indiana Wesleyan, a team who beat them in the second game of the season, in the semifinals. A sluggish start and 27-percent shooting in the first half placed CU in a 36-27 deficit at the break. It took a 15-point run midway through the second period for the Jackets to finally take control. While Cedarville, 27-6 overall, suffered through 31-percent shooting for the game, including an 8-for-37 effort outside the arc, they set a school record by making all 18 of their free throws. Brittany Smart made 16 of the charity tosses to tie her own tournament record en route to a game-high 29 points. She also pulled down 12 rebounds to go along with six assists and three steals. Stacie Travis was the only other player to reach double figures hit four treys for 12 points. Kristi Beougher grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. Smart, already the tournament's all-time leading scorer, set two other career records for most field goals made (128) and free throws made (95). [STATS]
March 9, Morningside - (16th Annual NAIA Division II National Tournament - Second Round)
Brittany Smart scored 25 points to become the all-time leading scorer in NAIA Division II National Tournament history as the Lady Jackets defeated Morningside, 95-79, in the second round. Cedarville faces Taylor in Saturday's quarterfinals which is CU's fourth straight Elite Eight appearance. Smart nearly posted a triple-double as she racked up 25 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists in the victory. She upped her career tournament scoring total to 346 points to surpass the old mark of 342. Karah Walton contributed 21 points and seven assists while Kristi Beougher tallied 19 points and seven boards. The Jackets, 26-6 overall, shot 54 percent from the field for the game and held a 39-34 rebounding advantage. The Mustangs close out the season at 21-12. The Cedarville-Morningside series is most remembered for the back-to-back national championship game losses the Mustangs, whose campus is located in Sioux City, pinned on the Lady Jackets in 2004 and 2005. Forgotten in the records is that Cedarville's first-ever NAIA National Tournament contest in 2003 was an 80-69 victory over Morningside. [STATS]
March 7, Union (Ky.) - (16th Annual NAIA Division II National Tournament - First Round)
No. 1 seed Cedarville brushed aside a slow start and picked up the pace to outdistance No. 8 Union (Ky.), 86-63, in the first round of the 16th Annual NAIA Division II National Tournament at the Tyson Events Center. The Lady Jackets advance to Friday's second round to face Morningside (Iowa). In the opener, neither team was able to get on the board for almost two minutes to begin the game. Cedarville, 25-6 overall, put the first points on the board at the 18:14 mark and never looked back, going on an 11-0 run over the next two minutes. Union, who finishes 19-15, had just one field goal in the first seven and a half minutes as Cedarville opened up a 24-2 advantage. The Lady Jackets led 52-19 at half. Cedarville was paced by Brittany Smart, the all-time leading scorer in NAIA Division II, who finished with 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals. She now has 321 career tournament points which rates second all-time. Smart needs 21 points to tie Brenda Schlegel of Saint Francis (Ind.), who also competed in four tournaments (1997-2000). As a team, Cedarville shot an impressive 52.3 percent from the field as 10 different players scored. In addition to Smart, two others reached double figures with Karah Walton scoring 15 points and Alison Lemon chipping in 14. [STATS]
Feb. 24, at Daemen (AMC Championship Game)
Four seniors carried the load as NAIA Division II No. 5 Cedarville won its fifth consecutive American Mideast Conference Championship Game, 87-76, at No. 21 Daemen. The Lady Jackets, who enter the NAIA National Tournament with a 24-6 record, have won all five AMC title contests ever played and it was their third victory over the Lady Wildcats, 25-6, in the match-up. Brittany Smart paced the senior quartet with 34 points which included a 13-for-14 accuracy at the charity stripe. Kristi Beougher worked inside for 17 points, Karah Walton tallied 14 points with five assists, and Stacie Travis added 13 points. Cedarville, the five-time AMC South Division champions, built a 42-34 halftime lead. Daemen hung close until the Lady Jackets used a 26-12 spurt to blow out to their largest advantage of 79-59 with 6:20 left. It was the first home loss this season for the AMC North Division champion Lady Wildcats and only their fourth home setback in the past four seasons - two of which have come at the hands of CU in the AMC Championship Game. [STATS]
Feb. 17, MALONE
The NAIA Division II No. 4 Lady Jackets downed Malone, 71-62, to win their fifth consecutive American Mideast Conference South Division championship. Cedarville, 23-6 overall and 15-3 AMC, plays at North Division winner Daemen in the AMC Championship Game on Feb. 24 before heading to the NAIA Division II National Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa on March 7-13. Brittany Smart poured in a game-high 29 points to lead Cedarville. Karah Walton scored 16 points and Kristi Beougher added 10 points to become the 16th player in school history to surpass 1,000 for a career. The three seniors along with classmates Stacie Travis and Katy Barry were honored after the final home game of their collective careers. CU is 122-15 over the past four years with two NAIA national runner-up efforts and an Elite Eight showing. The Lady Jackets never trailed after taking the lead six minutes into the contest. It was 39-28 at halftime and the Pioneers, 18-12 and 10-8 AMC, could get no closer than the final score. The largest margin was 16 points on six different occasions in the final period. [STATS]
Feb. 15, at Rio Grande
Rio Grande knocked off NAIA Division II No. 4 Cedarville for the second time this season with a 72-69 American Mideast Conference South Division win. The Lady Jackets, 22-6 overall and 14-3 AMC, can still claim their fifth straight outright division title on Saturday with a win at home over Malone. CU has won 13 of their last 15 games with both blemishes belonging to Rio, 19-10 and 11-6 AMC, who ended a three-game losing streak at the Lady Jackets' expense. The Redwomen trailed 32-30 at halftime, but they opened the second period with a three-pointer and never surrendered the lead. Brittany Smart racked up 35 points and 14 rebounds which featured a 16-for-17 showing at the free throw line. Kristi Beougher came through with 12 points to move within four points of 1,000 for her career and she added a career-high 17 rebounds. [STATS]
Feb. 10, TIFFIN
Brittany Smart poured in 34 points to reach yet another scoring milestone and the NAIA Division II No. 5 Lady Jackets clinched a share of the AMC South Division title with an 82-60 victory over Tiffin. Cedarville, 22-5 overall and 14-2 AMC, needs one win in its last two games to wrap up its fifth consecutive outright division championship and thus secure an automatic berth to the NAIA National Tournament. Smart needed less than two minutes to get the five points necessary to become the first player in Ohio women's college basketball history to surpass 3,000 career points. One week removed from becoming the all-time leading scorer in NAIA Division II, the 5-foot-9 guard paced the Lady Jackets in scoring for the 27th straight time this year with her 10th contest of at least 30 points. She now has 3,029 career points. Karah Walton sprinted the floor for 15 points and a game-high six assists. Kristi Beougher notched her eighth double-double of the campaign with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Cedarville scored the first nine points of the game and never trailed. After leading 38-24 at the intermission, a 14-5 spurt early in the second period blew it open and CU increased the margin to as much as 25 points. The Jackets shot 52 percent from the field and had a 44-35 rebounding edge. Tiffin drops to 12-13 and 9-7 AMC. [STATS]
Feb. 8, URBANA
NAIA Division II No. 5 Cedarville sprinted to a 33-point halftime lead and crushed Urbana, 91-58, in AMC South Division play. The Lady Jackets have won 12 of their last 13 games to improve to 21-5 overall and 13-2 AMC. The outcome was never in doubt after Cedarville bolted to a 15-2 lead. The halftime bulge was 45-12 thanks to the Blue Knights making just 5 of 34 shots in the initial period for 15 percent including an 0-for-12 showing outside the arc. A 24-12 start to the second period gave CU its largest lead at 45 points, 69-24. Urbana, 13-14 and 6-9 AMC, improved its shooting to 52 percent over the final 20 minutes but the Jackets hit 56 percent. Brittany Smart paced four players in twin figures with a double-double of 21 points and 14 rebounds to go along with five assists and three steals. Karah Walton tallied 15 points, Alison Lemon came off the bench with 11, and Kristi Beougher added 10. Cedarville controlled the boards, 51-29, and shot 54 percent from the field overall including a 10-for-21 effort outside the three-point arc. [STATS]
Feb. 3, SHAWNEE STATE
Brittany Smart poured in 41 points and became the all-time leading scorer in NAIA Division II women's basketball history as the NAIA Division II No. 5 Lady Jackets downed Shawnee State, 88-74, in an AMC South Division game. Cedarville, 20-5 overall and 12-2 AMC, posted their sixth straight 20-win season in beating the Bears for the 10th time in a row. Smart, who entered the game needing 32 points to tie the mark of 2,965 set by Becky Sells of Milligan (Tenn.) from 1996-2000, netted 25 points in the first half, yet CU trailed 43-41. Her layup 5:30 into the second period gave the Jackets the lead for good and started the hosts on an 18-5 run. Her driving layup at the 8:05 mark broke the NAIA record. It was Smart's third 40-point game of the season and the eighth of her career as she upped her point total to 2,974. Kristi Beougher supplied 12 points and Mary Stockdale added 11. The Jackets shot 57 percent from the field in the second half and made 7-of-13 three-pointers in the frame. [STATS]
Jan. 30, at Wilberforce
The NAIA Division II No. 7 Lady Jackets held Wilberforce to 23 percent shooting from the field and rolled to an easy 79-45 victory over their Greene County counterpart in AMC South Division action. Cedarville won its third straight to improve to 19-5 overall and 11-2 AMC. The Jackets, who never trailed, used a 15-4 run early as the catalyst to slowly pull away. It was 35-19 by halftime and 59-31 midway through the second period. The host Bulldogs, 6-17 and 3-10 AMC, shot just 19 percent from the field in the first half and converted 2-of-20 three-pointers for the game. Brittany Smart made 9-of-12 field goals, including all three of her three-point attempts, en route to a game-high 23 points. Kristi Beougher totaled 14 points and eight rebounds while Alison Lemon contributed 11 points. CU controlled the boards 52-43 with Emily Noble pulling down a team-high nine boards. [STATS]
Jan. 27, at Walsh
Brittany Smart's 32 points paced five players in double figures for NAIA Division II No. 7 Cedarville during an 89-84 win at Walsh in AMC South Division play. It was the ninth victory in the past ten games for the Lady Jackets, 18-5 overall and 10-2 AMC, who maintain a one-game lead over Rio Grande in the division with six left. It took CU more than six minutes to grab their first lead of the contest thanks to three successive three-pointers. The Jackets never trailed again after Alison Lemon's jumper at the 2:25 mark en route to a 42-38 edge at the break. The Cavaliers, 5-15 and 3-9 AMC, hung around in the second half and got as close as 64-62 with 11:30 left until a 14-4 run by Cedarville gave them their largest lead of the game, 78-66, with 5:30 remaining. The Jackets limped to victory by hitting just 5-of-10 free throws in the final 2:20. Smart came up with seven rebounds and five assists to go along with her 32 points. Lemon chipped in 11 points with three assists and two steals. Mary Stockdale tallied a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds with three blocked shots while Kristi Beougher and Stacie Travis added 10 points each. [STATS]
Jan. 23, MOUNT VERNON NAZARENE
Brittany Smart scored 32 points to lead the NAIA Division II No. 4 Lady Jackets to a 76-63 victory over Mount Vernon Nazarene in an American Mideast Conference South Division contest. Coupled with Rio Grande's 68-66 win at Ohio Dominican, Cedarville, now 17-5 overall and 9-2 AMC, regained sole possession of first place in the division over both clubs by one game. Smart had scored 42 and 44 points, respectively, in her last two contests against MVNU. This time, she made 12-of-22 shots from the field, including four three-pointers, to go along with eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Karah Walton had 11 points and seven assists while Stacie Travis added 10 points. CU held a 41-36 halftime lead and inflated the margin to as much as 68-53 with 8:30 remaining. The Jackets had a 46-31 rebounding edge which included 22 offensive boards. MVNU drops to 7-13 and 1-10 AMC. [STATS]
Jan. 20, RIO GRANDE
Rio Grande brought NAIA Division II No. 4 Cedarville's 38-game AMC South Division home court winning streak to an end by gunning down the Lady Jackets, 100-97. CU, 16-5 overall and 8-2 AMC, dropped into a first-place tie with Ohio Dominican, who ironically was the last conference team to win in the Callan Athletic Center back on Dec. 7, 2002. The Redwomen, 15-7 and 7-3 AMC, finished the first half with a 16-5 spurt for a 45-39 lead. Rio, who averages making six three-point baskets per game, then took command by hitting 7-of-10 treys in the first 11 minutes of the second half. This included one stretch in which the visitors buried triples on three successive trips down the court for their largest lead at 78-63. The Jackets, who trailed 94-83 with 1:58 left, weren't finished and made an incredible comeback. They cut the deficit to 98-97 with 12 seconds to go, Rio made one-of-two free throws, and CU even had a three-point attempt to win in the final seconds that bounced off the rim. All five Cedarville starters scored in double figures and three had double-doubles. Brittany Smart exploded for 45 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Karah Walton totaled 15 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists while Kristi Beougher had 13 points and 13 rebounds. Stacie Travis flipped in 11 points and Mary Stockdale had 10. Smart's effort was two points shy of her school record and she tied the mark for most three-pointers made in a game with eight. [STATS]
Jan. 16, at Malone
Mary Stockdale's 10-foot jumper with one-tenth of a second left gave the NAIA Division II No. 5 Lady Jackets a 58-56 AMC South Division victory at Malone. The outcome keeps Cedarville, 16-4 overall and 8-1 AMC, in sole possession of first place in the division with their seventh straight win. The Jackets put the ball in the hands of Brittany Smart for the final 24 seconds of the game following a timeout. She penetrated to the free throw line, attracted the attention of the defense, and dished off to Stockdale on the right wing, who calmly buried the jumper. The Pioneers, 13-8 and 5-4 AMC, had a chance to take the lead in the final minute, but turned the ball over setting up CU's last shot. The Jackets scored the first eight points of the contest, but trailed 28-27 at the intermission. A 12-2 spurt midway through the second half gave Cedarville a 50-43 edge, however, Malone answered with eight straight points for their final lead at 51-50. Smart finished with 22 points and five assists, Kristi Beougher recorded a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Stockdale and Stacie Travis netted eight points apiece. [STATS]
Jan. 13, OHIO DOMINICAN
NAIA Division II No. 5 Cedarville took over sole possession of first place in the AMC South Division by defeating Ohio Dominican, 69-59. The Lady Jackets, 15-4 overall and 7-1 AMC, entered the contest tied with the Panthers and avenged an earlier loss to ODU in December which halted Cedarville's 72-game conference winning streak. CU never trailed in the game but struggled to put the visitors away. After building a 47-31 lead with 17:35 left, the Jackets made just four field goals the rest of the night including one drought of nearly nine minutes between baskets. The Lady Jackets labored through the poor shooting and played the final 3:30 without leading scorer Brittany Smart, who fouled out. However, the hosts went 8-for-8 from the free throw line in the final minute to close out the Panthers, 12-8 and 6-2 AMC, who got as close as six points just once at the midway point of the half. Smart totaled 22 points, nine rebounds, and four assists in 25 minutes of play. Kristi Beougher logged the most minutes with 37 and provided a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds. Karah Walton added 11 points. Cedarville suffered through a 7-for-25 shooting performance in the second half for 28 percent which was offset by a commanding 50-38 advantage in the rebounding department. The defense held the Panthers to 35 percent shooting. [STATS]
Jan. 9, at Shawnee State
Brittany Smart pumped in 36 points and keyed a late second-half spurt to lead the NAIA Division II No. 7 Lady Jackets to a 75-67 win at AMC South Division rival Shawnee State. Cedarville, 14-4 overall and 6-1 AMC, has won five straight. Smart scored 25 of her points in the second half including 15 of the team's last 18. The Jackets turned around a 58-57 deficit with 6:15 to play into a 67-58 advantage three minutes later. The senior guard scored the first seven points of the decisive run which culminated on a three-pointer from Kristine Rucker. Smart added a jumper at the 1:10 mark and six straight free throws in the final 25 seconds to seal the outcome. Kristi Beougher continued her steady play with 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Karah Walton chipped in 10 points. Shawnee State dropped its fourth straight decision to fall to 11-7 and 4-3 AMC. [STATS]
Jan. 6, at Tiffin
Brittany Smart continued her torrid offensive pace with 38 points to lead NAIA Division II No. 7 Cedarville to an 83-69 win at Tiffin in AMC South Division action. The Lady Jackets have won four straight to improve to 13-4 overall and 5-1 AMC. CU allowed a 13-point bulge in the first half slip to a 33-29 halftime lead with Smart scoring 20 of the team's points. The Dragons, who lost for the first time in six home games this season to fall to 6-9 and 3-3 AMC, got as close as two points early in the second period. The Jackets outscored the hosts 25-13 over the next eight minutes for a 60-46 lead and they upped the spread to as much as 15 points. Kristi Beougher coupled 17 points with a game-high seven rebounds while Karah Walton chipped in 12 points. The Jackets made 55 percent of their shots from the field including 58 percent in the second half. Smart was 12-for-21 from the field overall, buried five three-pointers, and connected on 9-of-10 free throws. She is averaging 37.3 points per game in her last three contests. The 5-foot-9 senior has poured in 34, 39, and 38 points, respectively, in her last three contests versus Tiffin. [STATS]
Jan. 4, at Mount Vernon Nazarene
Brittany Smart poured in a season-high 42 points and the NAIA Division II No. 7 Lady Jackets overcame a sluggish start for an 85-67 AMC South Division victory at Mount Vernon Nazarene. The win vaults Cedarville, 12-4 overall and 4-1 AMC, into a three-way tie for first place in the division along with Shawnee State and Ohio Dominican. The host Cougars, 6-8 and 0-5 AMC, roared out to a 29-14 lead midway through the first half before Smart decided to take charge. Trailing 29-18, the 5-foot-9 senior scored the Jackets' next 16 points including 14 unanswered which brought CU from a 31-20 deficit to a 34-31 lead in a span of 2:55. It was only a four-point spread at halftime and MVNU was still within 61-52 at the 8:45 mark. Smart's three-point play with 7:10 remaining produced her final points of the night before acquiring her fourth personal foul. A 17-6 spurt by Cedarville put the game out of reach. Smart hit 17-of-21 shots from the field overall, made all four of her three-pointers, and all four of her free throws. Stacie Travis buried three treys and finished with 15 points, Mary Stockdale had 12 points with a career-high 13 rebounds, and Karah Walton dished out 10 assists and blocked three shots. The Jackets shot 58 percent from the field including 61 percent in the second half. They also controlled the boards, 37-23. It was the sixth time in Smart's career that she scored at least 40 points in a game and it was her fourth-highest total. She upped her career point total to 2,683 points to surpass Yellow Jacket men's all-time leader Eric Mounts, who netted 2,648 from 1977-81. [STATS]
Dec. 29, Bethel (Ind.) - (Warner Southern Classic)
Brittany Smart netted a season-high 32 points and NAIA Division II No. 7 Cedarville rallied to edge No. 8 and previously unbeaten Bethel (Ind.), 80-79, at the Warner Southern Classic. The Pilots, 14-1 overall, rimmed out a free throw on the third of three attempts with 2.5 seconds remaining that would have sent the game into overtime. Bethel controlled the first half and took a 44-36 lead into halftime. The Pilots built the advantage to 10 points in the second period before the Lady Jackets, 11-4, turned around the momentum. CU had a 78-73 lead with less than a minute left and had to hold off a Bethel comeback. Smart hit two free throws with 11.7 seconds to go for an 80-77 margin. The Pilots were fouled on a last-second trey that gave them the opportunity to tie, but the third charity toss was missed. Smart added six rebounds, six assists, four blocked shots, and three steals to her offensive production. Karah Walton produced 16 points and three assists while Kristi Beougher tallied a double-double of 12 points and 11 boards. [STATS]
Dec. 28, at Warner Southern
NAIA All-Americans Brittany Smart and Karah Walton combined for 41 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, and seven steals to pace the NAIA Division II No. 7 Lady Jackets to an 86-67 win at Warner Southern. Cedarville, 10-4 overall, concludes its stay at the Warner Southern Classic against unbeaten and No. 8 Bethel (Ind.), who is 14-0. Smart, a two-time All-America First Team performer, totaled 25 points, six boards, four assists, and three steals. Walton, an All-America Third Team point guard as a junior, came through with 16 points, six rebounds, four assists, and four steals. The senior duo combined for a 17-for-23 accuracy from the field. Mary Stockdale and Stacie Travis were the other Jackets to reach double figures with 10 points each. Cedarville's 22-point first-half lead dwindled to 40-31 by halftime. However, the Lady Jackets made 17-of-24 shots from the field for a sizzling 71 percent in the second half to pull away. [STATS]
Dec. 19, at Ohio Dominican
Ohio Dominican rallied to stun NAIA Division II No. 7 Cedarville, 73-68, to end the Lady Jackets' 72-game American Mideast Conference South Division winning streak. Ironically, the Panthers were the last AMC school to beat CU with a 78-71 decision in the Callan Athletic Center back on Dec. 7, 2002. There was no indication the streak would end on this night after the Jackets sprinted to a 19-6 lead in the first five minutes. ODU hung around and Karah Walton's three-pointer just before the buzzer gave Cedarville a 37-30 lead at halftime. The Lady Jackets continued the momentum early in the second half and enjoyed their largest lead at 57-42 with 11:10 left. At that point, the Panthers, 8-6 overall and 3-1 AMC, took over. Ohio Dominican exploded on a 22-2 run over the next seven minutes for a 64-59 advantage. CU responded with nine straight points culminating with a Brittany Smart trey for a 68-64 lead at the 2:20 mark. They would not score again as the Panthers reeled off the final nine points to secure the upset. Smart finished with 22 points, Walton tallied 14, and Mary Stockdale came off the bench to match her career-high of 12 points. Kristi Beougher pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds for Cedarville, 9-4 and 3-1 AMC. The outcome also ended the Lady Jackets' 41-game AMC road winning streak. They had not dropped a league game away from home since Jan. 17, 2002 at Urbana, 65-59. [STATS]
Dec. 9, WALSH
Brittany Smart scored 27 points to lead four players in double figures as the NAIA Division II No. 7 Lady Jackets cruised to an 82-56 victory over Walsh in an AMC South Division contest. Smart was 9-for-14 from the field and 8-for-9 at the charity stripe to lead the offense. Karah Walton produced 13 points, eight assists, and four steals. Freshman guard Alison Lemon came through with 13 points and Kristi Beougher chipped in 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Cedarville, 9-3 overall and 3-0 AMC, finished the first half with an 11-4 run for a 42-29 lead. A 21-7 spurt to open the second half blew the game open and the Jackets led by as much as 81-48 at the 3:30 mark. Walsh drops to 2-7 and 1-3 AMC. [STATS]
Dec. 2, Lindsey Wilson (Georgetown Classic)
Brittany Smart racked up a double-double of 29 points and 11 rebounds to guide NAIA Division II No. 2 Cedarville to a 90-85 victory over Lindsey Wilson at the Georgetown Classic. The Lady Jackets, 8-3 overall, shot 62 percent in the opening half and took a 50-35 lead into the break. CU cooled off in the second half and the Blue Raiders, 2-9, heated up to make it close down the stretch. Stacie Travis buried four three-pointers and totaled 20 points to go along with a game-high seven assists. Rookie guard Alison Lemon came off the bench with 14 points. Cedarville hit 14-of-16 free throws for 87 percent. [STATS]
Dec. 1, at Georgetown
NAIA Division I No. 18 Georgetown made 11 three-pointers and shot 56 percent from the field to hand the Division II No. 2 Lady Jackets a convincing 92-64 setback. It was the worst loss for Cedarville since a 93-70 reversal suffered at the hands of Sioux Falls in the Sweet 16 of the 2003 NAIA Division II National Tournament. The Jackets, who had their six-game winning snapped to fall to 7-3, jumped out to an early lead before the Tigers took over with a stingy defense coupled with accurate shooting. It was 48-33 at the intermission and Cedarville never threatened in the second period as they finished the game with a season-low 34 percent performance from the floor. Brittany Smart was the only Lady Jacket player to score in double figures finishing with 20 points. Karah Walton returned to the line-up for the first time in eight games since injuring a finger on her shooting hand early in the season. CU had a slim 38-36 rebounding edge and had one fewer turnover at 17-16. Georgetown improved to 8-2. [STATS]
Nov. 28, at Urbana
NAIA Division II No. 2 Cedarville streaked to a 30-point halftime lead and overwhelmed Urbana, 101-70, in AMC South Division action. The Lady Jackets, 7-2 overall and 2-0 AMC, extended their winning streak to six straight. Brittany Smart scored 24 of her game-high 26 points in the initial period. CU put the first nine points on the board and a Smart three-pointer at the halftime buzzer made it 56-26. Rookie guard Alison Lemon tallied a season-high 15 points, Kristi Beougher added 13 points with a game-high 13 rebounds, and Emily Noble provided 12 points off the bench. The Jackets shot a season-best 58 percent from the field including a 62-percent accuracy in the first 20 minutes. They also made 9-of-18 three pointers. [STATS]
Nov. 21, WILBERFORCE
The NAIA Division II No. 2 Lady Jackets scored the first 12 points of the game and coasted to a 78-51 victory against Greene County rival Wilberforce in the AMC South Division opener for both schools. Cedarville, 6-2 overall and winners of five straight, held the Bulldogs scoreless for the first 5:45 of the contest. The Jackets blasted out to a 29-point bulge in the first half and led by as many as 31 early in the second frame. The hosts made 10 three-pointers in the game and forced 31 turnovers. Brittany Smart scored a game-high 26 points to go along with four assists. Stacie Travis was the only other Lady Jacket to reach double figures with 17 points. All 14 CU players in uniform played and 11 scored. Wilberforce drops to 1-4. [STATS]
Nov. 18, Virginia-Wise (Shawnee State Classic)
NAIA Division II No. 2 Cedarville took control early and never let up in an 81-54 win over No. 23 Virginia-Wise at the Shawnee State Classic. It was the fourth consecutive victory for the Lady Jackets, 5-2 overall, who were playing their fourth Top 25 opponent of the season. CU scored the first eight points of the game. While the Cavaliers rallied to tie the contest, 19-19, the Jackets assembled a 14-2 spurt in the final four minutes for a 41-27 lead at the intermission. Cedarville outscored Virginia-Wise 26-11 in the first 10 minutes of the second half for the largest bulge of the game, 67-38. Brittany Smart paced three CU players in double figures with 18 points, six assists, and six steals. Stacie Travis scored 14 points and Alison Lemon contributed 12 points and nine rebounds. Kristi Beougher also pulled down nine rebounds with the Yellow Jackets holding a 54-39 edge on the boards. [STATS]
Nov. 17, Indiana-South Bend (Shawnee State Classic)
The NAIA Division II No. 2 Lady Jackets sprinted to an early 21-point lead and coasted to a 79-60 victory over Indiana-South Bend at the Shawnee State Classic. Cedarville, 4-2 overall, scored 17 straight points en route to a 26-5 bulge midway through the first half. The Jackets enjoyed a 44-25 halftime lead and increased the margin to as much as 28 in the second period. Brittany Smart scored all 18 of her points in the first half. Kristi Beougher posted a double-double consisting of 17 points and 10 rebounds. [STATS]
Nov. 14, TAYLOR
NAIA Division II No. 2 Cedarville went 8-for-8 from the free throw line in the final 42 seconds to pull out an 82-77 non-conference victory over previously unbeaten Taylor. Brittany Smart scored 28 points and Stacie Travis added a career-high 24 to pace the Lady Jackets, 3-2 overall. Cedarville appeared to be in trouble when Smart, a two-time All-America guard, fouled out with 1:42 left and CU clinging to a 74-73 lead. The Trojans, 3-1, hit one-of-two free throws for the 15th tie of the game before the Jackets went to work at the charity stripe. Bayley Nosal hit two free throws with 42 seconds left and Travis buried four straight for an 80-74 advantage - Cedarville's largest of the game - with 10 seconds to go. Kristi Beougher hit the final two free throws with 1.9 seconds remaining to finish with 12 points. The Jackets made 29 free throws to match a school record equaled five times before. The last time it occurred was seven years ago against Seton Hill. It was also just the third time in 113 career games that Smart fouled out of a contest. [STATS]
Nov. 11, Spring Arbor (Saint Francis IN Classic)
The NAIA Division II No. 2 Lady Jackets played their first unranked team of the season and dealt Spring Arbor a 72-51 setback. Cedarville, 2-2 overall, stormed out to an overwhelming 25-3 lead and were never threatened by the Cougars. Brittany Smart paced three Lady Jackets in double figures with 18 points. Stacie Travis netted 17 points and Kristi Beougher produced a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds. [STATS]
Nov. 10, at Saint Francis (Ind.)
NAIA Division II No. 8 Saint Francis (Ind.) pulled away in the second half to gun down No. 2 Cedarville, 86-70. The Lady Jackets, 1-2, dropped their second straight and have played all three games thus far against Top 13 teams. Brittany Smart paced CU with 24 points. Stacie Travie had 11 points and Kristi Beougher chipped in 10. The Jackets were playing without point guard Karah Walton, who is out with a hand injury. [STATS]
Nov. 4, INDIANA WESLEYAN
NAIA Division II No. 4 Indiana Wesleyan knocked off the No. 2 Lady Jackets, 69-59, to win the Cedarville Invitational for the second year in a row. The Wildcats are the only visiting team to beat the Jackets in the last 52 games played in the Callan Athletic Center and they've done it twice. Indiana Wesleyan, 3-0, bolted to a 26-10 lead in the game's first 11 minutes. CU recovered with a 12-point run and closed the gap to 33-27 at the break. The difference swelled to 55-42 with 8:15 left, but an inspired 16-4 spurt got the Jackets to within 59-58 at the 3:26 mark. It was still a one-point difference before the Wildcats scored nine unanswered points in the final minute to account for the final. Brittany Smart scored a game-high 28 points to lead Cedarville, 1-1, and Karah Walton chipped in 13. The senior guards were both named to the all-tournament team. [STATS]
Nov. 3, BRYAN
Brittany Smart became the school's all-time scoring leader in women's basketball while leading the NAIA Division II No. 2 Lady Jackets to a 68-56 victory over No. 13 Bryan in the opening round of the Cedarville Invitational. CU will square off with No. 4 Indiana Wesleyan in the championship game for the fourth straight year. The Wildcats defeated Madonna, 67-52, in the opener. Smart scored 31 points to run her career total to exactly 2,300 points which breaks the previous record of 2,275 set by Kari Flunker from 2001-05. The only CU player to score more points than Smart is former Yellow Jacket men's player Eric Mounts, who tallied 2,648 points from 1977-81. Smart, a two-time NAIA All-America First Team performer, pulled down 12 rebounds and handed out five assists as the Lady Jackets rallied from a 33-30 halftime deficit. They scored the first 14 points of the second half en route to a 27-2 run in the opening 8:30 of the frame to take control. No other Cedarville player scored in double figures. Kristi Beougher joined Smart for game-high rebounding honors with 12. Bryan falls to 1-2 on the season. [STATS]
