BARTLESVILLE, Okla. – Southwestern Oklahoma State University won the first-ever Great American Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament in impressive fashion bettering third-seeded Harding University by a 69-58 score Sunday in Bartlesville.
Darcie Dick, who ended up as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, led SWOSU with 21 points, as the Bulldogs won their first post-season tournament since the 1997-98 season when they competed as a dual-affiliated NAIA/NCAA school in the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference tournament.
Third-year coach Kelsi Musick, whose team made rapid improvement from its four-win season in her initial year to become the first 20-win women’s team in more than 14 years. SWOSU won its final seven games of the season and finished at 20-9.
“We told our players all season to believe. Today we believed and it paid off,” Musick said. “This team has come from the bottom and to get where we and today as champions is something really special. I’ve said all along they are the team-of-the-year.”
Dick, who transferred her final season to SWOSU after spending one year at Iowa State, said in an emotional radio interview that she wished she could do a career rewind.
“To come back home, to come to SWOSU has really been a blessing for me,” she said. “I just wish I could’ve start over again and come here as a freshman.”
Dick, who made nine-of-21 attempts from the field, again had ample assist by the inside play of Sumiya Darden who finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds. It was the 14th time this season that she finished with double figure points and rebounds in the same game. Darden was named to the all-tournament team along with Dick.
Twin figure scoring help was also provided by MaRiah Oyler who finished with 11 points, including hitting all three of her three-point attempts.
SWOSU ended the half with a 36-26 lead and built its margin even greater in the early moments of the second half. The Bulldogs scored the first six points and led 42-26 with 16:18 to play on a layup by Dick.
Harding, which finished 18-11 on the year, was led by Arielle Saunders with 19 points.
SWOSU never allowed their lead to dip below 10 points for the game’s remainder and allowed Musick to empty the bench as the celebration spilled out onto the court.
The Bulldogs ended the game making 26-of-60 attempts for 43% and were four-of-13 for 31% from the arch. SWOSU was 13-of-15 from the line for 87%.
SWOSU outrebounded Harding, 37-36, which entered as the best rebounding team in the league.
