Central Has Final Word Against Nic

For a second straight night, the North Idaho College women’s basketball team got into some fun pregame bantering with its opponent.

As NIC and Central Arizona were waiting in a tunnel leading onto the court at Wagstaff Gym for their NJCAA Division I quarterfinal matchup, the teams took turns yelling cheers at each other.

The teams were so vocal that a tournament official had to ask them to lower their voices until the game being played was over. It was all in good fun. The Cardinals’ final cheer proved prophetic in a strange way, though. “Central, get ready for a homicide.”

It was Central Arizona, not NIC, committing the homicide.

“You don’t think they took it personally do you?” joked NIC coach Greg Crimp after Central Arizona pummeled the Cardinals 89-55.

Don’t think so. It’s doubtful that a team that has posted 31 victories in 32 games requires much pregame motivation.

Press? What press?

The defense that keyed NIC’s opening-round win wasn’t a press.

At least not technically.

“We just extend our matchup zone to midcourt,” Crimp said. “It’s not a predictable type of press.”

The defense allows NIC’s guards to free-lance.

“They can pressure, they can double team, they can do what they want,” Crimp said.

If they don’t get a steal, the defense retreats into a half-court matchup zone.

“We heard they couldn’t be pressed,” Crimp said. “I think our guards lived up to the task.”

Quotebook

“We seem to be getting famous for being behind and coming back.” - NIC guard Mandy Jacques, whose tenacity is infectious.

“They’re great kids and work very hard. I think we have great chemistry. We’re going after our PHD poor, hungry and driven.” - Central Arizona coach Lin Laursen who starts four freshmen.

Notes

Central Arizona freshman guard Sara Ossana, who scored a team-high 16 points in her team’s opening 85-77 overtime victory, is the goddaughter of Larry McMurtry, the author of the highly acclaimed novel Lonesome Dove.

Savannah Tech is making its second straight trip to nationals after starting its program just four years ago. The Lady Panthers, who brought just eight players to Tyler, have no gym and travel 20 miles to practice.

Junior colleges in Mississippi are allowed to have only four players from out of state and can use only two scholarships on the four players.

In the nine years Tyler Junior College has hosted the event its women’s team has qualified just once.

That was in 1992.

Tyler is a member of one of the toughest conferences in the nation, the Texas Eastern Conference. It has produced four national championships while the tourney has been held at Tyler.

Nearby Kilgore won titles in 1990 and ‘93, and neighbor Trinity Valley has taken two of the last three titles. TV finished runner-up between ‘94 and ‘96.

The most successful team in the tournament is Louisburg (N.C.), which has won 39 games. The Hurricanes won national titles in ‘81 and ‘92.

Casper (Wyo.) College recruits many players from New Zealand. In the past eight years 12 New Zealanders have come to Casper. The connection started with a former Casper assistant who played professional basketball Down Under. , DataTimes