Women's Basketball 12/18/2011 12:24:00 AM

OCU in Las Vegas Hoopla women's basketball preview

Cara Pugh chips in 3.3 points and 2.6 rebounds a game for the Stars.

6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 19
vs. Pikeville (Ky.)
6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20
vs. Xavier (La.)
Centennial Hills Community Center in Las Vegas

THE MATCHUP: Top-ranked Oklahoma City University finishes its nonconference slate against Pikeville (Ky.) and Xavier (La.) in the Las Vegas Hoopla.

ABOUT THE STARS: OCU clobbered Benedictine (Kan.) 93-62 on Saturday at Abe Lemons Arena. The Stars (8-0) flexed their inside muscle, building advantages in rebounding (44-32), points in the paint (44-24) and points in the paint (20-9).
Tiffany Goldwire, a 5-foot-9 senior from Oklahoma City, highlighted four OCU double-digit scorers with 16 points, 10 rebounds and two steals. She posted her second double-double this season. Goldwire supplies the Stars with 13.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.13 steals per game.
Dietra Caldwell, a 5-8 senior from Missouri City, Texas, added 16 points, four rebounds and four steals. Caldwell averages 14.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.25 steals a game. Her steals average ranks second in the NAIA. Lauren Gober, a 6-2 junior from Newcastle, Okla., picked up 16 points, six rebounds, two assists and four 3-pointers. Gober provides OCU with 13.1 points and 5.4 rebounds.
OCU lead NAIA Division I with a 43.9-point victory margin. The Stars' 94.6 points per game rank third nationally, while their 50.8 points allowed a game ranks fourth. To see where OCU stacks up statistically in the NAIA, click here.
The Stars own the No. 1 ranking in the NAIA Division I rankings. Five-time national champion OCU ranks among the leaders in wins in NAIA women's basketball over the past decade. The Stars have been favored to win the Sooner Athletic Conference championship in the preseason by league coaches. OCU has won 12 league titles.
OCU's contest against Pikesville will be the first time ever in women's basketball.
OCU holds a 3-0 lead over Xavier in the all-time series. The Stars ousted Xavier from the NAIA Division I Tournament last season 67-51 on March 18 in Jackson, Tenn. Goldwire scored a team-high 15 points. OCU meets Xavier for the first time during the regular season.

ABOUT THE BEARS: Pikeville edged Virginia Intermont 65-60 on Dec. 6 in Pikeville, Ky. Pikeville (4-7) took advantage of 22 turnovers.
Brogan Conley, a 5-10 sophomore, turned in 17 points and 10 rebounds. Conley registers 13.4 points and 6.1 rebounds a game. Christin Haney, a 5-6 freshman, picked up 17 points and five rebounds. Haney averages 7.5 points and 3.8 rebounds a game.
Pikeville tied for sixth in the preseason Mid-South Conference coaches poll.

ABOUT THE GOLD NUGGETS: Xavier suffered a 67-64 setback to Loyola (La.) on Saturday in New Orleans. Loyola halted Xavier's three-game win streak as 16th-ranked Xavier went to 7-4.
SiMon Franklin, a 5-7 junior, boosted Xavier with 13 points and eight rebounds. Franklin records 9.3 points per game. Jasmine Grant, a 5-8 senior, had 12 points and three steals, while Keldra Hall, a 6-foot senior, picked up 12 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots. Grant leads Xavier with 9.8 points a game.
Xavier has been favored to win the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference in the preseason.

ABOUT THE COACHES: Rob Edmisson has posted a stellar 185-30 record in his seventh season at OCU and a 487-149 record overall in his 22nd season as a head coach. Edmisson, a two-time SAC coach of the year, has led the Stars to SAC regular-season championships four times and four SAC Tournament titles. Edmisson coached the only player drafted into the WNBA from OCU, Mariam Sy, as well as six others who turned professional. He won 192 games at Hutchinson (Kan.) and 110 as a high-school coach in Kansas.
Bill Watson is in his 15th season at the helm of Pikesville's program. His highlights at Pikesville include the program's first national-tournament trip, a program-record 24 wins in 2002-03 and three league coach of the year honors.
Bo Browder has guided Xavier to a 298-102 record in his 13th season. Xavier has been to 10 national tournaments and with five GCAC regular-season titles and five league tournament crowns under Browder.

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/ocustars.
Be sure to catch the OCU Athletics Update video program weekly on ocusports.com, the OCU YouTube Channel or on OCU Athletics' Facebook page. Click here to see the latest edition.
Know when the game is happening and get scores and highlights following by calling the OCU athletics hotline at (405) 208-5400.

ON THE AIR: OCU's games in the Las Vegas Hoopla will be available via live video.

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