Sports

UAA will play for national title against a team that is tall, deep and undefeated

They light up the scoreboard, lock down on defense, outrebound opponents significantly, receive high-scoring games from a variety of players, routinely blow out opponents and roll with experience and depth.

Basically, No. 1-ranked and unbeaten Lubbock Christian on paper looks a lot like UAA, which Monday faces the Chaparrals for the NCAA Division II women's basketball championship in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The Chaparrals are 34-0 in their first full-fledged Division II season after making the jump from the NAIA level.

The Seawolves are 38-2, with their 38 victories a Division II record for the most in a single season. Yet UAA coach Ryan McCarthy is relishing his team's role as the underdog.

"I think all of the pressure's on them," he said of the Chaparrals. "They're the team that's undefeated, and everyone says they're the No. 1 team in the nation, and so if they lose people are gonna ask them what happened.

"If we lose no one's gonna ask that question, 'cause they're the No. 1 team. It'd be an upset if we win. We were not even the No. 1 team for our own region."

How to watch UAA play in Monday's national championship game

ADVERTISEMENT

Lubbock Christian is taller than the Seawolves, with a starting lineup that includes 6-foot-5 Kellyn Schneider and 6-4 Tess Bruffey. Bruffey is an honorable mention All-American, and 5-10 point guard Nicole Hampton is a first-team All-American.

"Their point guard is about as tall as our post," McCarthy said, "They're a long team and have, quote, Division I size.

"They're 34-0 for a reason, 'cause they're really good."

Lubbock Christian coach Steve Gomez, who is 314-104 in 13 seasons, was voted the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's Division II Coach of the Year.

He fields a nearly all-Texas lineup – 14 of the 15 players on the roster are in-state players – and eight of his players average 10 minutes or more of playing time per game. Those eight feature five seniors, two juniors and a sophomore.

Hampton paints the score sheet. She leads the team in scoring (14.7 points per game), rebounds (7.4) and assists (5.9), she shoots 58.1 percent from the field and drains 89.5 percent of her free throws. Plus, her assists-to-turnover ration of 3.26 ranks second nationally.

Bruffey weighs in with 13.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.29 blocks per game, and shoots 53.3 percent from the field.

Meanwhile, 5-9 senior guard Kelsey Hoppel averages 12.9 points and makes 42.4 percent of her 3-point attempts, and 5-10 senior guard Haley Fowler averages 10.5 points.

UAA counters with a third-team All-American in Megan Mullings, a 6-foot senior post who leads the team with 15.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.

Jenna Buchanan, a 5-8 senior guard, is good for 12 points a game and shoots 44.2 percent from 3-point range. She set a Division II record this season by sinking at least one 3-pointer in 35 straight games. Senior guard Jessica Madison averages 10.4 points a game.

Lubbock Christian leads UAA in a number of statistical categories, including scoring offense, scoring defense and margin of victory.

The Seawolves hope their pace of play and ability to force turnovers will keep the Chaparrals off-balance. UAA leads the nation in steals, averaging 13.7 per game to Lubbock Christian's 10.1.

"I can barely play against my own teammates," UAA junior Alysha Devine said. "I (make) 12 turnovers every practice. I can't imagine not having that every day in practice and then having to play against it in a game.

"… I think they can play a lot of different styles, but they are a tall team and I think they've never seen our pace of play, so I think we'll have that advantage."

Lubbock Christian is trying to become the second unbeaten Division II women's champ in the last three seasons. Bentley, which lost 67-57 to the Chaparrals in the national semifinals, went 35-0 in 2014.

The only other undefeated Division II women's champion was North Dakota State (32-0) in 1995.

How they compare

Scoring offense

ADVERTISEMENT

Lubbock Christian 82.2 points per game (6th in nation)

UAA 80.4 (9th)

Scoring defense

Lubbock Christian 53.8 (2nd)

UAA 54.1 (4th)

Margin of victory

Lubbock Christian 28.4 (1st)

UAA 26.3 (2nd)

ADVERTISEMENT

Rebounding margin

Lubbock Christian 9.6 (6th)

?UAA 9.3 (8th)

Field goal percentage

Lubbock Christian 51.4 (1st)

UAA 45.2 (13th)

Steals per game

UAA 13.7 (1st)

Lubbock Christian 10.1 (35th)

Doyle Woody

Doyle Woody covered hockey and other sports for the Anchorage Daily News for 34 years.

ADVERTISEMENT