Women's Basketball 1/4/2012 3:05:00 PM

OCU at Rogers State women's basketball preview

Emily Davis contributes 5.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.75 steals a game.

6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5
Claremore Expo Center in Claremore, Okla.

THE MATCHUP: Top-ranked Oklahoma City University takes on Sooner Athletic Conference foe Rogers State in a matchup of top 25-ranked teams.

ABOUT THE STARS: OCU trampled Northwestern Oklahoma State 114-66 on Monday at Abe Lemons Arena. The Stars (12-0, 6-0 SAC) topped 100 points for the third time this season and 12th time in coach Rob Edmisson's seven-year tenure at OCU.
Tiffany Goldwire, a 5-foot-9 senior from Oklahoma City, turned in 22 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and four steals. Goldwire sank every shot, hitting all eight of her shots from the field, two 3-pointers and all four free throws with no turnovers. Goldwire notches 13.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.42 steals per game.
Lauren Gober, a 6-2 junior from Newcastle, Okla., produced 18 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots off the bench. Gober averages 11.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.42 steals a game this season. Desiree Jeffries, a 6-foot junior from Oklahoma City, chipped in 17 points, nine rebounds and two blocks. Jeffries records 9.9 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.00 steals a game.
OCU leads NAIA Division I with 19.3 assists a game and a 43.7-point average victory margin. The Stars score 95.2 points a game to rank second nationally and give up 51.5 points per game to rate fifth. To see where OCU stacks up statistically in the NAIA, click here.
The Stars hold the No. 1 ranking 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.
OCU leads the all-time series against Rogers State 8-1. Rogers State won for the first time against OCU 73-70 on Feb. 12, 2011 at the Reynolds Center in Tulsa, Okla. Hunter Peterson's free throws with 14 seconds left proved to be the difference.

ABOUT THE HILLCATS: Oklahoma Baptist upended Rogers State 95-84 on Monday in Claremore, Okla. Rogers State (9-5, 3-3 SAC) led by as much as 13 points.
Gianna Woods, a 6-1 senior, led Rogers State with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Woods provides her team with 11.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.92 steals a game. Leah Smith, a 5-6 junior, added 16 points and three steals. Smith averages 11.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.21 steals a game.
Rogers State is ranked 25th in the latest NAIA rankings. SAC coaches predicted Rogers State would finish fourth in the league.

ABOUT THE COACHES: Rob Edmisson has posted a stellar 189-30 record in his seventh season at OCU and a 491-149 record overall in his 22nd season as a head coach. Edmisson, a two-time SAC coach of the year, has led the Stars to 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.
Amy Williams has an 84-58 career record in her fifth season as the only women's basketball coach Rogers State has had. Edmisson and Williams were assistants on the same coaching staff at Oklahoma State.

QUOTABLE: “Our goal this year is we're hoping to hit a 3.4, 3.5 GPA this semester for our kids. We've always been above a 3.0, but this bunch right now is doing well so we're hoping to finish up strong.” – 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 will provide the play-by-play, while Eric Rodgers will give analysis. To listen to the game, visit OCU's Stretch portal by clicking here.
Rogers State 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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