IUN News
Photo by Christopher Sheid/IU Northwest Office of Marketing and Communications
Photo by Christopher Sheid/IU Northwest Office of Marketing and Communications
Sun, Feb 28, 2010 - [Women's Basketball]
BY NICK NOCHEVICH, POST-TRIBUNE CORRESPONDENT
 

GARY -- Indiana University Northwest's women's basketball team made history Saturday with a thrilling 70-67 win over Ohio Dominican to capture the Association of Independent Institutions tournament title and earn the school's first invite to the NAIA Division II national tournament.

"I am so proud of the accomplishment these women made today," said an emotional IUN coach Ryan Shelton. "We have made such great strides in a short period of time and many doubted our abilities, but today we showed them that we are one of the best teams that will compete for the national title."

 
IUN knew that it was going to be a tough battle against a very good shooting team in Ohio Dominican. And Ohio Dominican did not disappoint as it came out firing 3-point shots and grabbed an early 11-point lead.
 
The RedHawks stayed focused and turned to sophomore Sharon Houston, who showed why she truly is one of the best players in the nation. Houston and her teammates quickly erased the deficit to forge a 40-40 tie at the half.
 
In the second half, Houston continued her dominance in the middle, and scored at will. She led all scorers with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and four key blocks. She was named thetournament MVP, as well.
 
"We knew that it was going to be a battle because they are a very good shooting team," Houston said. "But I knew that they would have difficulty stopping us in the middle and my teammates did a great job working the ball into me."
 
IUN held a three-possession lead late in the game, but Ohio Dominican fought hard to get within one. With 30 seconds left in the game, IUN sophomore Juliette Keller stepped up to the line to hit two crucial free throws -- she was a perfect 11-of-11 from the line -- and give the RedHawks some breathing room.
 
Ohio Dominican took one more shot, a 3-pointer, but fittingly it was blocked by Houston, the top shot blocker in Division II, to bring the game to an end.
 
IUN (22-10), for the first time in school history, will now advance to the national NAIA Division II tournament, which is scheduled for March 10-16 in Sioux City, Iowa.
 
"I am so fortunate to have such a solid, committed team, coupled with the nation's best player in my mind, Sharon Houston," Shelton said. "We are looking forward to representing our school and community at the national tournament."