Women's Basketball 1/18/2012 4:31:00 PM

OCU at Southern Nazarene women's basketball preview

Emily Davis adds 4.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.44 steals per contest for the Stars.

6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19
Sawyer Center in Bethany, Okla.

THE MATCHUP: The most heated rivalry in NAIA women's basketball plays out another chapter as Oklahoma City University travels to Southern Nazarene.
OCU and Southern Nazarene have combined for 25 Sooner Athletic Conference championships, 17 of 18 SAC Tournament titles and 12 NAIA Division I championships. The two played for the national championship each year from 2002-04, with the Stars capturing the NAIA title in 2002.

ABOUT THE STARS: OCU knocked off Wayland Baptist (Texas) 70-54 on Saturday at Abe Lemons Arena. The Stars (15-1, 9-1) overcame a six-point deficit and took the lead for good with a 10-0 run that started late in the first half and continued early into the second.
Lauren Gober, a 6-foot-2 junior from Newcastle, Okla., notched her second double-double this season with 19 points, 11 rebounds and two steals. Gober compiles 12.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.31 steals a game.
Taylor Booze, a 5-6 senior from Duncanville, Texas, came off the bench to record 16 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals. Booze averages 9.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.13 steals per game. Dietra Caldwell, a 5-8 senior from Missouri City, Texas, registered 11 points and five assists. Caldwell leads the team with 13.3 points while adding 3.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.94 steals per contest.
OCU leads NAIA Division I with a 33.4-point average victory margin. The Stars rate in the top five in seven statistical categories. To see where OCU stacks up statistically in the NAIA, click here.
The Stars stood second in the latest NAIA Division I poll. Five-time national champion OCU ranks among the leaders in wins in NAIA women's basketball over the past decade. OCU captured its 12th SAC regular-season title and reeled off its 13th consecutive 25-win season in 2010-11. The Stars have been favored to win the SAC championship in the preseason by league coaches.
Southern Nazarene leads the series against OCU 35-33. The Stars rolled to a 94-65 win over Southern Nazarene on Dec. 3 at Abe Lemons Arena. Desiree Jeffries posted 20 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 10-for-10 from the field.

ABOUT THE CRIMSON STORM: Southern Nazarene popped Oklahoma Baptist 84-69 on Saturday in Bethany, Okla. Southern Nazarene (13-4, 7-2 SAC) enters having won five consecutive contests and eight of its last nine.
Logan Martin, a 5-9 senior, surpassed her career high by scoring 34 points to go with six rebounds, three assists, three steals and seven 3-pointers. Martin, the daughter of SNU athletic director Bobby Martin, provides her team with 14.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.82 steals. Oumoul Thiam, a 6-foot junior, had 16 points and five assists. Hampton averages 13.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
Southern Nazarene holds the No. 15 spot in the latest NAIA rankings. SAC coaches predicted SNU to finish second in the SAC before the season.

ABOUT THE COACHES: Rob Edmisson has posted a stellar 192-31 record in his seventh season at OCU and a 494-150 record overall in his 22nd season as a head coach. Edmisson, a two-time SAC coach of the year, has led the Stars to four SAC regular-season championships and four SAC Tournament titles. Edmisson coached the only player drafted into the WNBA from OCU, Mariam Sy, as well as six other Stars who have turned professional. He won 192 games at Hutchinson (Kan.) and 110 as a high-school coach in Kansas.
Lori Carter owns a 208-79 record in her seventh season guiding Southern Nazarene. Including three seasons at St. Gregory's, Carter has a 247-132 record as a head coach. Carter, the four-time SAC coach of the year, played for SNU from 1989-92 and served as an assistant at OCU from 1996-98 before leading the Storm to the 2004 NAIA championship.

QUOTABLE: “This team is special. They have a chance to be really good. You know, we still have to get better and the good thing is we're not as good as we're going to be.” – 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/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 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 athletics has partnered with Stretch Internet to provide live and on-demand audio, stats and video of the Stars' games. Greg Merick provides the voice of the Stars, while Eric Rodgers serves as analyst. To listen to the game, visit OCU's Stretch portal by clicking here.
SNU will provide live stats and video of the game. To follow the game via live stats, click here. To watch the game, click here.

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