OCU at Langston women's basketball preview

Overton leads Oklahoma City for first time

OCU features seniors Markeisha Johnson and Catherine Kruschke this season.

Women's Basketball | 11/6/2015 4:34:00 PM

1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7
C. Felton Gayles Fieldhouse in Langston, Okla.

THE MATCHUP: Oklahoma City University faces Langston in a clash of top 20-ranked teams in NAIA Division I women's basketball.

ABOUT THE STARS: Oklahoma City repeated as national champions and won its eighth national championship with an 80-63 win over Campbellsville (Ky.) on March 24, 2015 in Independence, Mo. The Stars finished the season 30-2. OCU owns the most national crowns in NAIA women's basketball.
Catherine Kruschke, a 6-foot senior from Dublin, Calif., supplied OCU with 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds a game in 2014-15. Kruschke had a season-high 18 points and 10 rebounds at St. Gregory's on Jan. 14, 2015.
Markeisha Johnson, a 5-9 senior from Mansura, La., contributed 6.1 points and 7.0 rebounds a game last season. Johnson posted 3.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists during OCU's title run in 2013-14. Daniela Wallen, a 5-11 junior from Caracas, Venezuela, averaged 15.4 points and 8.6 rebounds for Northwest Florida State, becoming a first-team all-conference performer last season.
OCU was second in the NAIA with 18.2 assists a game. To see how OCU compared with the NAIA Division I statistical leaders last season, click here.
OCU stood at No. 7 in the preseason NAIA Division I rankings. OCU continued streaks of being ranked in the top 10 in every poll since March 11, 2009 and making the top 25 for the 192nd consecutive time since 1999-2000. Oklahoma City owns national championships from 1988, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2012, 2014 and 2015.
The Stars took a 71-68 setback at Langston on Nov. 15, 2014 in the latest women's basketball contest between the two schools. OCU suffered its first loss to Langston since 1990-91. Oklahoma City has a 28-2 record against Langston.

ABOUT THE LADY LIONS: Langston finished the 2014-15 season with a 72-69 loss to Great Falls (Mont.) in the second round of the NAIA Tournament. Langston completed the season 28-4.
Jewel Rogers, a 5-9 senior, became a second-team all-Red River Athletic Conference selection last season. Rogers accumulated 11.5 points and 3.0 rebounds a game as a junior. Arykeysha Perry averaged 11.4 points and 3.4 rebounds a game for Langston in 2014-15.
The Red River Athletic Conference preseason poll had Langston finishing second in the league.

ABOUT THE COACHES: Bo Overton is in his debut season with OCU. Overton has a wide array of coaching experience, establishing a reputation as a top talent evaluator and recruiter. He has head-coaching experience on the professional level in China, Russia and the WNBA, as well as college head-coaching experience with Missouri-Kansas City. Overton has been an assistant on the international level for the Bahamas and China, including the 2012 Olympics with the Chinese team. Overton is well known among Oklahomans for his stint as an assistant to Sherri Coale at Oklahoma from 1998-2004 as well as playing college basketball at Oklahoma.
Cheryl Miller directed Langston a 28-4 record and a trip to the 2015 NAIA Division I Tournament in her first season as head coach for Langston. From 1993-95, Miller was the head coach of the University of Southern California women's team, going 42-14 with two NCAA Tournament berths. From 1997-2000, she was the head coach of the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, leading the team to a 70-52 record and the 1998 WNBA Finals. Miller was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995, FIBA Hall of Fame for international play in 2010 and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999. Miller also boasts gold medals from the 1983 Pan American Games, 1984 Olympics and 1986 Goodwill Games.

FOLLOW THE STARS: Fans can keep up on the latest from OCU athletics through several ways.
Check out OCU athletics on several social media platforms by looking up the handle @ocustars. The Stars are on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and new for 2015-16, Instagram.
Fans can sign up to receive the latest OCU athletic headlines via e-mail by going here.
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 or see our video channel in the upper right-hand corner of our home page.

ON THE AIR: Fans can follow the game via live stats.

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Players Mentioned

#25 Markeisha Johnson: F; 5' 9"; Senior

#24 Catherine Kruschke: F; 6' 0"; Senior

#22 Daniela Wallen: F; 5' 11"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#25 Markeisha Johnson
: 5' 9"; Senior
: F

#24 Catherine Kruschke
: 6' 0"; Senior
: F

#22 Daniela Wallen
: 5' 11"; Junior
: F

Players Mentioned

#25 Markeisha Johnson

#24 Catherine Kruschke

#22 Daniela Wallen

Players Mentioned

#25 Markeisha Johnson

#24 Catherine Kruschke

#22 Daniela Wallen