6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22
Abe Lemons Arena
THE MATCHUP: Oklahoma City University will celebrate the accomplishments of its senior basketball players as the Stars host USAO in OCU's final regular-season home game of the season.
Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for students. Admission is free for all OCU athletic events to OCU faculty, staff and students with their ID.
ABOUT THE STARS: OCU reeled off its 17th win overall and 18th consecutive conference win 69-61 over archrival Southern Nazarene at Abe Lemons Arena. The Stars (23-3, 18-1 Sooner Athletic Conference) overcame a nine-point deficit, allowing Southern Nazarene to shoot 35.7 percent from the field in the second period.
Donica Cosby, a 5-foot-8 junior from Coldwater, Miss., propelled OCU with 23 points, five rebounds, eight assists and four steals. Cosby totals 14.6 points, 4.0 assists and 1.96 steals a game overall and 15.3 points a game in conference play.
Starr Fairbanks, a 6-2 junior from Cincinnati, had 16 points, five rebounds and three steals. Fairbanks scores 12.3 points and hauls in 4.3 rebounds a game. Fairbanks leads the SAC with a 57.3 percent field-goal percentage. Holly Hardin, a 6-foot senior from Chickasha, Okla., added 14 points and five rebounds. Hardin records 11.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.15 steals and 1.12 blocked shots a game, leading the conference in rebounding.
As a team, OCU ranks in the top 10 nationally in field-goal percentage (46.0), assists (17.8 a game), average margin of victory (18.3) and turnover margin (1.0 assists per turnover).
The Stars moved to sixth in the latest NAIA Division I rankings. OCU was picked to finish second in the conference in the preseason. The Stars entered this season tied for the most wins of any women's basketball program in the nation over the past nine years.
OCU holds a 39-3 advantage over USAO in the overall series. OCU picked up its 28th consecutive victory over USAO 86-48 on Thursday in Chickasha, Okla. Fairbanks scored a game-high 19 points, while she and Hardin tied for the game high with eight rebounds each.
ABOUT THE LADY DROVERS: USAO lost 70-54 to Mid-America Christian on Saturday in Oklahoma City. USAO (5-22, 3-16 SAC) trailed by two points at halftime, but was outscored 38-24 in the second half.
Aita Gueye, a 5-8 senior, led USAO with 21 points while grabbing 10 rebounds. Gueye averages 8.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.42 steals a game. Charitie Lewis, a 5-9 senior, had 20 points and grabbed team highs with 11 rebounds and three steals. Lewis has put together 13.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.30 steals per game. Krista Beaty, a 5-10 sophomore, paces USAO with 13.8 points a contest.
SAC coaches picked USAO to finish 10th in the conference during the preseason.
ABOUT THE COACHES: Rob Edmisson has posted a stellar 141-25 record in his fifth season at OCU and a 443-144 record overall in his 20th season as a head coach. Edmisson has led the Stars to SAC regular-season championships twice and the SAC Tournament title three times. Edmisson coached the only player drafted into the WNBA from OCU, Mariam Sy. He won 192 games at Hutchinson (Kan.) and 110 as a high-school coach in Kansas.
Laci Tompkins became USAO coach this season after nine years on the junior-college level at Redlands (Okla.). Tompkins played basketball at USAO from 1991-95. She also spent four seasons as an assistant coach under George Davidson at USAO from 1996-99.
QUOTABLE: “We have to figure out late in the season how to sustain our effort. We pick and choose when we want to play hard. We have to figure it out before we get to Tennessee, or it will be a quick trip.” – Edmisson
FOLLOW THE STARS: Fans can keep up on the latest on OCU athletics through several ways.
Become a fan of the Oklahoma City University Stars on Facebook by going to www.facebook.com/ocustars.
Become a follower of the OCU Stars on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ocustars.
Check out video of the Stars in action at www.youtube.com/oklahomacityuniver.
Listen to past game broadcasts and pregame and postgame interviews on the OCU pod center by clicking here.
Be sure to catch the OCU Athletics Update video program weekly on the OCU YouTube Channel or on OCU Athletics' Facebook page.
Know when the game is happening and get scores and highlights following by calling the OCU athletics hotline at (405) 208-5400. Get conference scores and highlights by calling the SAC Hotline at (405) 878-2110.
ON THE AIR: OCU games will be broadcast regularly via the OCU athletics web site. Greg Merick and Andrew Himes will call the action. Click here to listen to the broadcast, here for the live stats and here for details on the video stream.
