WWU Women's Basketball Ranked 23rd Nationally in GPA

(Portions of this release provided by the Women's BasketballCoaches Association)

(FULTON, Mo., July 27, 2009) - The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced its winners for the 2008-09 Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll. This award, given in NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA and Junior College/Community College, awards teams throughout the nation that carry the highest grade point averages (GPA) for the entire season based on the nomination submitted by WBCA-member head coaches.

"It is always an honor for the WBCA to recognize these teams for putting together outstanding cumulative grade point averages," WBCA CEO Beth Bass said.  "We want to congratulate each and every one of these teams for their efforts in the classroom and want them to know that we celebrate their hard work.  My thanks go out to these teams for setting a benchmark of success academically among their peers in the sport."

The William Woods University women's basketball team finished 23rd nationally with a team GPA of 3.233.  The Owls, under first year coach Dan Chapla, were regular season co-champions of the American Midwest Conference, AMC Tournament champions, and advanced to the NAIA National Tournament.  The Owls finished the season 21-11, and were ranked 24th in the final NAIA Top 25.

The WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll for NAIA
Rk. School, 2008-09 Head Coach, Team GPA
1. Dana College, Shane Larson, 3.763
2. Oklahoma Christian University, Stephanie Findley, 3.762
3. Davenport University, Mark Youngs, 3.663
4. Concordia University-Nebraska, Drew Olson, 3.652
5. Valley City State University, Jill DeVries, 3.610
6. Lewis-Clark State College, Brian Orr, 3.530
7. Ohio Dominican University, Nathan Bellman, 3.529
8. Blue Mountain College, Lavon Driskell, 3.524
9. Saint Xavier University, Robert Hallberg, 3.487
10. Northwestern College, Earl Woudstra, 3.477
11. Cornerstone University, Carla Fles, 3.474
12. Bethel College (Ind.), Jody Martinez, 3.466
13. University of Rio Grande, David Smalley, 3.419
14. University of Montana-Western, Kevin Engellant, 3.396
15. Saint Ambrose University, Nathan Altenhofen, 3.386
16. Mount Marty College,  Tom Schlimgen, 3.344
17. Shorter College, Vic Mitchell, 3.323
18. Indiana Wesleyan University, Steve Brooks, 3.313
19. Carroll College, Shawn Nelson, 3.285
20. Montana State University-Northern, Chris Mouat, 3.272
21. College of the Ozarks, George Wilson, 3.264
22. Eastern Oregon University, Anji Weissenfluh, 3.257
23. William Woods University, Dan Chapla, 3.233
24. Baker University, Susan Decker, 3.230
25. Georgetown College, Susan Johnson, 3.228

GPAs are calculated by dividing the total number of quality points earned by each student-athlete on an institution's roster in the given academic terms by the total number of hours earned by the team. The GPAs are rounded to the nearest thousandth of a point. Per a motion passed by the WBCA Board of Directors in 2007, teams making the list of Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll must obtain at least a 3.000 overall GPA.

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Sarah Eagan Signs With WWU Basketball

(FULTON, Mo., May 15) - Head women’s basketball coach Dan Chapla has announced the signing of Sarah Eagan to a William Woods University Letter of Intent to play for the Owls in 2009-10.  Eagan comes to William Woods from Mineral Area Community College, and South Shelby High School.

Eagan, a 5’9” guard from Shelbina, Mo., earned four varsity letters at South Shelby High School.  She was a member of the All-Conference and All-District team.  Eagan was also a member of the McDonald’s Quincy Herald Whig All-Star team and Northeast Missouri All-Star team.

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Rachel Baker Named WWU Student-Athlete of the Month

(FULTON, Mo., April 5) -- Sophomore basketball player Rachel Baker has been named the William Woods University Student-Athlete of the Month for March.

Baker, a 6'0" forward from Mexico. Mo., was named the American Midwest Conference Player of the Year, AMC Newcomer of the Year, 1st Team All-AMC, and NAIA 3rd Team All-American.

Baker led the country in defensive rebounds per game (8.406) and ranked 3rd in total rebounds per game (11.2). She also led the Owls in scoring averaging 17.4 points per game.

WWU finished the season 21-11. The Owls were co-champions of the AMC regular season, champions of the AMC postseason tournament and competed in the NAIA Women's Basketball Division 1 National Championship.

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Baker Named to NAIA All-American Team

(FULTON, Mo., March 25)--Sophomore Rachel Baker has been named to the NAIA All-American Third Team. Baker, a 6'0" forward from Mexico, Mo., was also named the American Midwest Conference Player and Newcomer of the Year.

Baker tallied some impressive numbers during her first season at William Woods. She averaged 17.4 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. Baker led the country in defensive rebounds per game (8.406), and ranked 3rd in total rebounds per game (11.2).

William Woods finished the season with a 57-51 loss to Lubbock Christian University at the NAIA National Championships. The Owls were 21-11, co-champions of the AMC regular season, and champions of the AMC postseason tournament.

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Women's Basketball Falls in Opening Round

of National Championships

(JACKSON, Tenn., March 18)--The William Woods University women's basketball season came to an end in the NAIA Women's Basketball Division I National Tournament on Wednesday night. The 24th ranked William Woods University Owls lost 57-51 to the 10th ranked Lubbock Christian University Chaparrals.

It was billed as "guards vs. big's" in the opening round game. LCU started four guards and its tallest player was listed at 5'10". William Woods looked like they would have a size advantage as play began. The Owls were led on the blocks by 6'0" Rachel Baker and 6'1" Miranda Loesch.

AMC Player of the Year Rachel Baker started the scoring for William Woods. The sophomore from Mexico, Mo., scored the first five points for the Owls. WWU then went cold from the field.

Neither team shot well in the opening half. Whether it was the nerves of competing for a national championship, or trying to find the shooting touch in a big arena for the first time, the Owls shot 29% from the floor in the opening half. William Woods hit only 2-of-9 shots from behind the three-point line. Even with the poor shooting, and 11 first half turnovers, the Owls took a 26-25 lead into the half.

William Woods, one of the top defensive teams in the country, held LCU to 25% shooting in the opening half. WWU held a slight 22-21 rebound advantage after the first 20 minutes of play. Baker led the Owls with seven points and 10 rebounds at the half.

Lubbock Christian went on an 8-2 run to start the second half. While the Owls made several runs at the Chaps, they were never able to re-take the lead.

With seven minutes remaining in the game, Baker hit a turn-around jumper from the left block to cut the LCU lead to 41-38. LCU was able to push the lead back to eight with 6:30 remaining. Baker collected her fourth foul with just over six minutes left in the game. Coach Dan Chapla rolled the dice and kept Baker in the game.

Junior Eshell Estrella hit a three-pointer from the top of the key with 5:19 left to pull the Owls back to within five points. Baker followed with a lay-up with 4:50 remaining to cut the lead to three points.

Freshman Loesch picked up her fourth foul with 4:46 remaining in the game. Chapla continued to show confidence in his front court by keeping Loesch and Baker in the game with four fouls each.

Sophomore Jill Sutton, who paced the Owls in the AMC Championship game, hit two big free throws with just under four minutes remaining to cut the Chaps lead back to three points again.

The Owls shooting woes continued down the stretch. Lubbock Christian, one of the best free throw shooting teams in the country, missed back-to-back free throw opportunities, but the Owls could not convert on the offensive end.

After Baker fouled out with 31 seconds remaining, Estrella hit a lay-up with 14 seconds left in the game. It would prove to be the last basket of the night for the Owls.

William Woods shot 29% from the field in the loss. Lubbock Christian shot 33% from the field in the win. The Owls shot 21% from beyond the three-point line. The Chaps shot 23% from long-range. WWU hit 92% of its shots from the free throw line to 61% for LCU.

The Owls were led by Estrella and Sutton with 12 points each. Baker added 11 points and 17 rebounds in the loss for William Woods.

Lubbock Christian (27-6) was led by Jordan Hampton with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Bradley St. Clair added 15 points in the win for LCU.

William Woods ends the 2008-09 season with a record of 21-11. The WWU women’s basketball team made a remarkable turnaround from the previous two seasons.  William Woods was a combined 9-48 over the two-year span.  Under first year head coach Dan Chapla, the Owls were American Midwest Conference regular season co-champions, AMC Tournament champions, and made its first NAIA National Tournament appearance since the 1991-92 season.

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Women's Basketball Opens Nationals Wednesday

(FULTON, Mo., March 17th)--For the first time since the 1991-92 season, the William Woods University women’s basketball team will compete in the NAIA National Tournament.  The 24th ranked Owls will play #10 Lubbock Christian on Wednesday evening in Jackson, Tenn.

The WWU women’s basketball team made a remarkable turnaround from the previous two seasons.  William Woods was a combined 9-48 over the two-year span.  Under first year head coach Dan Chapla, the Owls were American Midwest Conference regular season co-champions, AMC Tournament champions, and carry a 21-10 record into the National Championships.

Complete Story

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Owls Draw Lubbock Christian in NAIA Tournament

(FULTON, Mo., March 12)--The William Woods University women’s basketball team will play Lubbock Christian (Texas) in the first round of the NAIA National Tournament. The Owls and Lady Chaparrals will play at 5:45 pm on Wednesday, March 18th, at Oman Arena in Jackson, Tenn.

Lubbock Christian will enter the tournament as the #3 seed in its bracket. The Owls will enter the tournament as the #6 seed.

Lubbock Christian is 26-6 on the year. They finished second during the regular season in the Sooner Athletic Conference, and are the 10th ranked team in the country. This will be the sixth consecutive trip to the NAIA National Tournament for Lubbock Christian.

The Lady Chap’s are led by Sooner Athletic Conference All-Tournament Team selection Sierra Lovorn. Lovorn, a 5’7” senior guard, averaged 10.5 points and 4.6 assists per game. Jordan Hampton leads the Chap’s in scoring with 13.0 points per game. Hampton, a 5’10” senior guard, also averages 5.9 rebounds per game.

William Woods is 21-10 on the year. The Owls were co-champions of the American Midwest Conference regular season, and champions of the AMC postseason tournament. The Owls are ranked 24th nationally this week. This will be the second trip to the NAIA National Tournament for William Woods.

The Owls are led by AMC Player of the Year, and Newcomer of the Year, Rachel Baker. Baker, a 6’0” sophomore forward, averages 17.6 points and 11 rebounds per game. Baker and Eshell Estrella, a 5’7” junior guard, were selected to the First Team All-AMC. First year head coach Dan Chapla was selected the AMC Coach of the Year.

Complete Bracket

Official NAIA Women’s Basketball National Championship Site

Oman Arena

Jackson, Tenn.

City of Jackson

Jackson Chamber of Commerce

Jackson Sun Newspaper

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Final Top 25 Poll Announced

(FULTON, Mo., March 9)--The William Woods University women's basketball team moved up one spot to 24th in today's NAIA Top 25 poll.

Complete Poll

The Owls, AMC regular season co-champions and AMC postseason tournament champions, secured a spot in next week's NAIA National Championships. The 32-team tournament bracket will be released on Thursday, March 12th.

Several Owls received American Midwest Conference postseason awards following the win on Monday. Five members of the William Woods women's basketball team received Academic All-AMC recognition:

Freshman Megan Aubuchon (Old Monroe, Mo.)

Sophomore Rachel Baker (Mexico, Mo.)

Sophomore Amber Chambers (Licking, Mo.)

Sophomore Kelsey Frey (Henley, Mo.)

Sophomore Jill Sutton (Warrenton, Mo.)

Junior Skye Wade (Licking, Mo.)

Freshman Miranda Loesch (Lohman, Mo.)

Junior Cameo Holly (Columbia, Mo.)

Sophomore Amanda Workman (Chadwick, Mo.)

Two members received First Team All-AMC honors:

Sophomore Rachel Baker (Mexico, Mo.)

Junior Eshell Estrella (Santa Ana, Calif.)

Rachel Baker also received AMC Newcomer of the Year, and Player of the Year honors. Head Coach Dan Chapla, in his first season at William Woods, was named AMC Coach of the Year.

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Owls Are Champions of the AMC

(FULTON, Mo., March 9)--The William Woods University women's basketball team can pack their bags. The Owls are headed to Jackson, Tenn., and the NAIA National Tournament.

William Woods defeated visiting McKendree University 69-55 in the championship game of the American Midwest Conference postseason tournament. With the win, the Owls advance to the NAIA National Tournament. It is only the second time in school history William Woods has advanced to the National Tournament. The first, and only, appearance came in the 1991-92 season under Coach Roger Ternes.

The Owls jumped out to a 9-0 lead to start the game. The Bearcats were able to cut the lead to two points with 7:29 remaining in the half. William Woods finished the half on a 12-8 run to take a 33-27 lead.

Sophomore Rachel Baker led the Owls with 12 points and nine rebounds in the first half. Sophomore Jill Sutton added 10 points for the Owls in the first 20 minutes of play.

William Woods shot 39% from the field in the opening half. McKendree shot 39% from the field in the opening half. The Owls were 4-for-9 from beyond the three-point line.

William Woods took a 42-35 lead on a jumper from the right wing from Eshell Estrella with 15:22 remaining in the game. The Bearcats then showed why they earned their way into the championship game. McKendree went on an 8-0 run to take a 43-42 lead. As it turned out, it would be their only lead of the night.

Sutton gave the Owls a 44-43 lead on a lay-up from the left side with 12:53 remaining in the game. The Owls took a double-figure lead (58-48) on a 14-5 run.

After McKendree cut the lead to seven points, Freshman Miranda Loesch scored on a turn-around jumper from the left block to extend the lead back to double-figures (62-51) with 4:29 remaining.

William Woods was led by Baker with 27 points and 11 rebounds. Sutton added 20 points, four assists and three steals in the victory. Loesch scored eight points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Owls.

McKendree was led in scoring by Haley Klingelhoefer with 11 points. Ashley Agee added 10 points in the loss.

William Woods shot 57% from the field in the second half, and 46% from the field in the win. McKendree shot 38% from the field in the loss. The Owls outrebounded the Bearcats 43-30.

#25 William Woods will find out on Wednesday who they play, and when they play, at the NAIA National Championships. The Owls improve to 21-10 on the season.

Following the game, several Owls received postseason awards. Megan Aubuchon, Rachel Baker, Amber Chambers, Kelsey Frey, Jill Sutton, Skye Wade, Miranda Loesch, Cameo Holly and Amanda Workman were selected 2008-09 Academic All-Conference. Baker and Eshell Estrella were named First Team All-AMC.

The Awards did not stop there. Baker was named AMC Newcomer of the Year, and AMC Player of the Year. Head Coach Dan Chapla, in his first season at William Woods, was named AMC Coach of the Year.

William Woods went 9-48 the previous two seasons. This season, the Owls were co-champions of the AMC regular season and champions of the AMC postseason tournament. They are now 21-10 and headed to Jackson, Tenn.

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AMC Championship Game Set
(FULTON, Mo., March 6)--The 25th ranked William Woods University Owls defeated visiting Hannibal-LaGrange College 68-61 on Friday night in Anderson Arena. The win sends the #1 seed Owls into the championship game on Monday night in Fulton, Mo.

Neither team could find a shooting rhythm in the first half. William Woods and Hannibal-LaGrange each shot 29% from the field.

Freshman Miranda Loesch led the Owls at the break with eight points and six rebounds. Michiko Namba led the Trojans with ten points on 4-of-8 shooting.

Hannibal-LaGrange made several runs at the Owls in the second half. The game was tied five times in the last 20 minutes of play. Kerry McDermott hit a 3-pointer from the right wing to give the Trojans a 47-44 lead with 10:15 remaining in the game. Sophomore Rachel Baker gave the Owls the lead on a 3-pointer of her own from the top of the key to re-take the lead with 9:55 remaining.

Hannibal-LaGrange continued to apply pressure. Nicole Backerman hit a 3-pointer with 9:40 on the clock to tie the game 50-50, and Sundae Falk followed with a jumper to give the Trojans a 52-50 lead.

Back-to-back lay-ups from Baker and Jestine Gerber gave the Owls a 54-52 lead with 7:38 remaining. WWU would not relinquish the lead again.

Loesch led the Owls with 15 points and 11 rebounds in the victory. Gerber and Eshell Estrella each added 12 points in the win. Baker added 11 points and 16 rebounds for the Owls.

Michiko Namba led the Trojans with 16 points. Angie Schwagmeyer added 14 points in the loss for Hannibal-LaGrange College.

William Woods shot 52% from the field in the second half, and 38% from the field in the game. Hannibal-LaGrange (13-18) shot 36% from the field in the loss. WWU outrebounded H-LC 47-38.

William Woods (20-10) will host McKendree University (20-11) at 7 pm on Monday night. The Bearcats won 74-61 at Columbia College on Friday evening. The Owls and Bearcats have played twice this season. William Woods won 66-56 at McKendree on January 8th. The Owls also defeated the Bearcats 72-59 in Fulton, Mo., on February 5th.

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Women’s Basketball Advances in AMC Tournament
(FULTON, Mo., March 4)--The 25th ranked William Woods University women’s basketball team defeated visiting Harris-Stowe State University 72-53 in Anderson Arena on Wednesday night. The American Midwest Conference postseason quarterfinal victory propels William Woods into the semifinals on Friday night. The Owls will host Hannibal-LaGrange at 7 pm in Anderson Arena.

The Hornets took a 31-30 lead into the half. William Woods struggled from the field shooting 32%. Harris-Stowe hit 13-of-28 shots (46%) to take the one-point lead.

The Owls increased the pressure on the defensive end in the second half. William Woods forced 12 HSSU turnovers, and outscored the Hornets 42-22 en route to the victory.

Sophomore Rachel Baker led the Owls with 18 points and 17 rebounds. Baker scored 14 of her 18 points in the second half. Jestine Gerber added 13 points for William Woods. Jordan Floyd and Eshell Estrella each scored 12 points for the Owls in the win. Estrella paced the Owls with seven assists.

Harris-Stowe (7-21) was led in scoring by Keyuana Bradshaw with 14 points.

William Woods shot 39% from the field in the win. Harris-Stowe shot 39% from the field in the loss. WWU outrebounded HSSU 44-37. The Owls committed 11 turnovers to 22 for Harris-Stowe.

William Woods improves to 19-10 on the season.

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Women's Basketball Holds #25 Ranking

(FULTON, Mo., March 2)--The William Woods University women's basketball team is ranked 25th in this week's NAIA Division I women's basketball poll.  The Owls were ranked 25th last week as well.  

William Woods (18-10, 14-2) will return to action on Wednesday, March 4th, in the quarterfinal round of the American Midwest Conference postseason tournament. They will host Harris-Stowe State University in Anderson Arena at 7 pm. The Owls enter the AMC postseason tournament as regular season co-champions, and the #1 seed.

AMC Tournament Bracket

NAIA Top 25 Poll

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William Woods Wins Share of AMC Title

(St. Louis, Mo., Feb. 28)--The 25th ranked William Woods University women's basketball team defeated Missouri Baptist University 77-64 on Saturday afternoon. With the win, William Woods finishes the AMC regular season in a tie for first place with Columbia College.

The Owls took a slim 34-32 lead into halftime. The Owls hit just 39% of their shots in the first half. The Spartans hit 38% of their shots in the opening half.

William Woods found its offensive touch in the second half. The Owls hit 52% of their shots and outscored the Spartans 43-32 in the final 20 minutes.

Sophomore Jill Sutton led the Owls with 21 points. Eshell Estrella and Jestine Gerber added 17 and 15 points respectively. Freshman Miranda Loesch grabbed a team-high nine rebounds in the win.

Missouri Baptist (14-14, 7-9) was led by Alexis Rhoades with 31 points.

The Owls shot 45% from the field in the win. The Spartans shot 40% from the field in the loss. MBU outrebounded WWU 37-33.

William Woods (18-10, 14-2) will return to action on Wednesday, March 4th, in the opening round of the American Midwest Conference postseason tournament. They will host the winner of the Stephens College/Harris-Stowe State University play-in game winner. The Owls will enter the AMC postseason tournament as the #1 seed by virtue of a tie-breaker:

From the AMC Handbook:
AMC Playoff Plan
D) Ties shall be resolved by the methods listed below. If more than two teams are tied for one spot, the tiebreaking procedures will continue without starting over until all ties are resolved.
Higher seeded ties will be resolved as follows:
1. Head-to-head competition.
- William Woods defeated Columbia 72-51 on Jan. 22.
- Columbia defeated William Woods 73-69 on Feb. 19.
2. Record against all resolved seeds in descending order.
- McKendree University is the #3 seed.
- William Woods defeated McKendree twice: 66-56 on Jan. 8, and 72-59 on Feb. 5.
- Columbia split with McKendree: CC won 55-49 on Jan. 20. MU won 61-47 on Feb. 17.

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Women's Basketball Wins at Hannibal-LaGrange

(FULTON, Mo., Feb. 26)--The 25th ranked William Woods University women's basketball team moved one game closer to earning the top seed in the American Midwest Conference tournament with a 66-50 victory at Hannibal-LaGrange College on Thursday night.

William Woods took a 29-23 halftime lead on 43% shooting from the field. The Owls were 11-for-26 from the field, and 5-for-6 from the foul line. The Owls held Hannibal-LaGrange to 33% shooting from the field.

William Woods outscored Hannibal-LaGrange 37-27 in the second half to earn another AMC victory.

William Woods was led in scoring by sophomore Jill Sutton with 15 points. Sophomore Rachel Baker added 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Hannibal-LaGrange was led in scoring by Michiko Namba with 14 points. Sara Rondeau added a team-high eight rebounds in the loss.

William Woods shot 45% from the field in the win. Hannibal LaGrange (11-17, 8-7) shot 29% from the field in the loss. The Owls outrebounded the Trojans 37-29.

William Woods (17-10, 13-2) will finish the regular season on Saturday, February 28th. They will travel to Missouri Baptist University for another AMC match-up. If the Owls win on Saturday, they share the regular season AMC championship with Columbia College, but earn the #1 seed in the AMC tournament by virtue of a tie-breaker.

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Women's Basketball Wins A Thriller

(FULTON, Mo., Feb. 21)--The 24th ranked William Woods University women's basketball team defeated visiting University of Illinois-Springfield on Saturday afternoon in Anderson Arena. The Owls defeated the Prairie Stars 65-63.

The Prairie Stars gave the Owls all they could handle in the American Midwest Conference show-down. The Owls took a slim 26-25 lead into halftime. William Woods was held to 28% shooting from the field in the opening half. The Owls could not find the bottom of the net from beyond the three-point line. William Woods went 0-for-10 from long-range. The Prairie Stars hit 33% of its shots in the first 20 minutes.

The two teams continued to battle until the final buzzer. The Owls took a three-point lead with 11 seconds remaining in the game on a free-throw from Cameo Holly. After a WWU timeout, the Owls fouled Di'Andra Frye as she crossed the half-court line. In the double-bonus, Frye missed her first foul shot, then connected on her second to pull the Prairie Stars within two points (65-63). The Prairie Stars then tipped the inbounds pass and a scramble ensued. A jump-ball was called with 1.1 seconds remaining. The arrow favored the Prairie Stars.

Neither team had any timeouts remaining for the last play. As the Prairie Stars inbounded the ball under its own basket, WWU sophomore Rachel Baker deflected, then grabbed the ball, and hurled it to half-court to secure the win.

Baker had another fine night for the Owls. Pushing for AMC Player of the Year honors, Baker scored 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. She also recorded three steals; the final one to clinch the Owls victory. Freshman Jordan Floyd made a big impact off the bench for the Owls. Floyd scored 13 points in 23 minutes of play.

The University of Illinois-Springfield was led in scoring by Jeanell Randolph with 17 points. Randolph also had a team-high eight rebounds. Alex Blair and Erin Glogovsky added 13 and 12 points respectively.

William Woods shot 31% from the field in the win. The Owls were 0-for-17 from behind the three-point line. UI-Springfield shot 38% from the field in the loss. WWU outrebounded UIS 45-40. Turnovers played a major role in the outcome of tonight's game. UIS committed 28 turnovers in the loss. WWU committed 24 turnovers in the win.

UIS falls to 6-21 overall, and 4-10 in the AMC.

William Woods improves to 16-10 overall, and 12-2 in the AMC. The Owls are one-half game behind Columbia College for the top spot in the AMC. The Owls will return to action on Thursday, February 26th. They will travel to Hannibal-LaGrange College for another important AMC match-up.

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Owls Fall at Columbia

(COLUMBIA, Mo., Feb. 19)--The 24th ranked William Woods University women's basketball team lost at #14 Columbia College on Thursday night. The Cougars beat the Owls 73-69.

The Owls and Cougars went toe-to-toe for 40 minutes of action on Thursday night. The Arena of the Southwell Complex was almost a 50-50 split between William Woods fans and Columbia fans. The Owls and Cougars battled for first place in the American Midwest Conference in front of a large, raucous crowd.

Columbia College took a 38-32 lead into the half. Defense was the tone of the night for both teams. The Owls shot 39% in the opening half. The Cougars shot 32% to take a six-point lead into the half.

Both teams slugged it out in the second half. Neither team saw many uncontested looks in the final 20 minutes of play. The Cougars held the Owls to 38% shooting in the second half. The Owls held the Cougars to 36% shooting for the second half.

The Owls and Cougars were tied at 69 with under three minutes remaining. The Cougars scored to push the lead to 71-69, and the Owls committed three straight turnovers to fall to 15-10 overall, and 11-2 in the AMC. Whitney Davis hit two foul shots with under 30 seconds remaining to secure the win for the Cougars.

Sophomore Rachel Baker paced the Owls with 26 points and 16 rebounds. Cameo Holly added 14 points in the loss for William Woods.

Columbia College was led in scoring by Whitney Widaman with 18 points. Julie Teeple added 17 points in the win. Brittany Taylor had a team-high eight rebounds in the win for Columbia.

WWU shot 34% from the floor in the loss. CC shot 39% from the field in the win. The Cougars outrebounded the Owls 50-37.

Columbia College improves to 25-3 overall, and 12-2 in the AMC.

William Woods will return to action on Saturday, February 21st. The Owls will host the University of Illinois-Springfield in another AMC match-up.

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Women's Basketball Moves Into First in AMC

(FULTON, Mo., Feb. 17)--The William Woods University women's basketball team defeated visiting Stephens College on Tuesday night in Anderson Arena. The Owls defeated the Stars 80-46. The win, coupled with a loss by Columbia College at McKendree, vaults William Woods back into first place in the American Midwest Conference.

The Owls flew out to a big halftime lead. William Woods outscored Stephens 40-26 in the opening half. Jestine Gerber led the Owls with 10 points in the first half. William Woods hit 42% of their shots in the first 20 minutes of play.

The Owls improved on its hot shooting in the second half. The Owls hit 14-of-27 shots (52%), while holding the Starts to 23% shooting. William Woods outscored Stephens 40-20 in the final half.

#24 William Woods was led in scoring by sophomore Gerber with 16 points. She hit 6-of-12 shots from the field, including 4-of-8 shots from behind the three-point line. Sophomore Rachel Baker added 14 points, freshman Jordan Floyd added 13 points, and freshman Miranda Loesch added 10 points in the win for William Woods. Floyd grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.

Stephens was led in scoring by Rachel Henderson with nine points. Henderson also led the Stars with seven rebounds. Stephens falls to 8-14 overall, and 0-11 in the AMC.

WWU shot 46% from the field in the win. SC shot 31% from the field in the loss. William Woods outrebounded Stephens 49-35.

William Woods improves to 15-9 overall, and 11-1 in the AMC. They will return to action on Thursday, February 19th. The Owls will travel to #14 Columbia College. Tip-off is 5:30 pm.

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Women's Basketball Falls in Overtime

(FULTON, Mo., Feb. 12)--The William Woods University women's basketball team lost to visiting Williams Baptist College on Thursday night in Anderson Arena. The Owls lost to the Eagles 56-62 in overtime.

Cold shooting led to a 26-25 halftime deficit for the 22nd ranked Owls. William Woods hit 9-of-25 (36%) shots in the opening half. The Owls were able to keep the half close with work on the defensive end. The Owls held the Eagles to 34% shooting in the opening 20 minutes.

Freshman Miranda Loesch and junior Eshell Estrella kept the Owls in the contest in the first half. Loesch and Estrella led the Owls with eight points each at the break. WBC outrebounded WWU 22-18.

The shooting woes continued for the Owls in the second half. The Owls hit 25% of its shots in the final 20 minutes. The Owls were able to rally from a five-point deficit with under two minutes remaining to tie the game at 50. With under 30 seconds remaining, William Woods took possession on a Williams Baptist turnover. However, a three-point attempt from Estrella came up short, and the Owls and Eagles went to overtime.

William Woods could not find the bottom of the net in OT, and the Eagles outscored the Owls 12-6 to earn the upset victory.

William Woods was led in scoring by junior Cameo Holly with 15 points. Estrella scored 13 points for William Woods in the loss. Sophomore Rachel Baker and Loesch added 12 points each in the loss. Baker collected a team-high 11 rebounds.

Williams Baptist (9-13, 3-6) was led by Jessica Shepard with 27 points. Dez Jones had a game-high 13 rebounds in the victory.

WWU shot 30% from the floor in the loss. Williams Baptist shot 37% from the floor in the win. Williams Baptist outrebounded William Woods 52-33.

William Woods (13-9, 9-1) will return to action on Saturday, February 14th. They will travel to Harris-Stowe State University for another AMC match-up. The loss snapped a 13-game winning streak for William Woods.

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Release Provided by the AMC

Owls' Baker Adds to 2008-09 AMC Awards Collection

(LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 10)--Rachel Baker of William Woods University continued her breakout 2008-09 season in being named the American Midwest Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week for Feb. 9. This marks the third time that Baker has captured the award this season.

Baker, a 6-0 sophomore forward from Mexico, Mo., was dominant in her only contest of the week, a 72-59 home victory on Feb. 5 against McKendree University. Baker registered 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, four steals and three blocked shots in the victory. The win allowed William Woods to remain undefeated in AMC play at 9-0.

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Women's Basketball Moves Up in

NAIA Top 25 Poll

(FULTON, Mo., Feb. 9)--The William Woods University women's basketball team moved up one spot in this week's NAIA Division I Top 25 Poll.  The Owls are now ranked 22nd in the nation.

William Woods is 13-8 on the season, and 9-0 (first place) in the American Midwest Conference.  The Owls have won 13 consecutive games.

The Owls will return to action on Thursday, February 12th.  WWU will host Williams Baptist College at 5:30 pm in Anderson Arena.

Complete Poll

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Women's Basketball Stays Perfect in AMC

(FULTON, Mo., Feb. 5)--The #23 William Woods University women's basketball team defeated visiting McKendree University 72-59 in Anderson Arena on Thursday evening.

The Owls hit 44% of their shots in the first half en route to a 34-24 lead. Sophomore Rachel Baker led the Owls at the break with 10 points. WWU held McKendree to 33% shooting from the field. They also outrebounded the Bearcats 19-17 and forced 12 MU turnovers.

McKendree made several runs at the Owls in the second half. Midway through the final half, the Bearcats cut the Owls lead to nine. The Owls put together a 5-0 run, and were never threatened again.

William Woods outscored McKendree 38-35 in the second half. The Owls shot 41% from the floor. McKendree shot 46% from the floor.

Baker scored a game-high 24 points in the victory for William Woods. Miranda Loesch added 12 points, and Jill Sutton added 10 points in the win for the Owls. Baker and Loesch each had 11 rebounds for WWU.

Emily Best scored a team-high 15 points in the loss for McKendree. Ashley Agee added 13 points in the loss.

McKendree (13-8, 5-4) shot 40% from the floor in the loss. William Woods shot 42% from the floor in the win. William Woods outrebounded McKendree 42-36.

William Woods improves to 13-8 overall, and a perfect 9-0 in the American Midwest Conference. William Woods will return to action on February 12th. The Owls will host Williams Baptist University at 5:30 pm in Anderson Arena.

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Baker Named as January WWU Student-Athlete of the Month

(FULTON, Mo., Feb. 5) -- Sophomore basketball player Rachel Baker ( Mexico, Mo.) has been named as the William Woods University Student-Athlete of the Month for January.

Baker is averaging 17.6 points and 10.4 rebounds leading the Owls to a perfect 10-0 record for the month and a #23 NAIA National Ranking. She was also named as the American Midwest Conference Player of the Week twice for the month of January.

In addition to her scoring and rebounding, Baker also leads the Owls in both steals and blocks, and is second in assists despite only logging 24 minutes per game.

Owls Head Women's Basketball coach Dan Chapla stated, "She has had a great month of basketball for us and is a big reason for us going undefeated in the month of January"

Baker is ranked in the top 10 for NAIA Division 1 in three categories: she is 3rd in defensive rebounds per game (7.55), 5th in total rebounds per game (10.40) and 9th in blocks per game (1.95).

Baker is majoring in American Sign Language.

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Owls Enter Top 25

(FULTON, Mo., Feb. 3)--The William Woods University women's basketball team is ranked 23rd in this week's NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Top 25. The Owls are 12-8 overall, and are in first place in the American Midwest Conference with a perfect 8-0 record.

The Owls will attempt to extend its 12-game winning streak on Thursday, February 5th. They host McKendree University at 5:30 in Anderson Arena. The Owls defeated the Bearcats 66-56 in Lebanon, Ill., on January 8th.

Complete NAIA Top 25

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Women's Basketball Topples Missouri Baptist

(FULTON, Mo., Jan. 31)--The William Woods University women's basketball team defeated visiting Missouri Baptist University 74-53 in Anderson Arena on Saturday afternoon.

The Spartans opened the game scoring the first basket. The Owls proceeded to go on a 17-0 run over the next eight minutes and never let off the accelerator. William Woods took a 35-22 lead into halftime. William Woods shot 44%, and held Missouri Baptist to 25% from the field in the opening half.

The Owls continued their hot shooting in the second half. The Owls outscored the Trojans 39-31, hitting 59% of their shots.

WWU was led in scoring by Rachel Baker with 23 points. Baker also grabbed 10 rebounds in the victory. Cameo Holly and Jill Sutton added nine and eight points respectively.

Missouri Baptist (12-7, 5-3) was led in scoring by Julie Leach with 17 points. Miroslava Harcegova added 11 points in the loss. Leach grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.

The Owls shot 50% from the field in the victory. The Trojans shot 27% from the field in the loss. MBU outrebounded WWU 47-45.

William Woods (12-8, 8-0) has now won its last 12 games. They complete the first swing through American Midwest Conference play a perfect 8-0. They will return to action on Thursday, February 5th. William Woods will host McKendree University in another AMC match-up.

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Women's Basketball Extends Winning Streak to 11

(FULTON, Mo., Jan. 29)--The William Woods University women's basketball team defeated visiting Hannibal-LaGrange College 72-59 on Thursday evening in Anderson Arena.

The visiting Trojans gave the Owls all they wanted in the opening half. WWU led 33-31 heading into halftime. William Woods hit 11-of-15 free throws in the opening half and shot 50% (11-for-22) from the floor. However, the Owls were 0-for-5 from behind the three-point line. Hannibal-LaGrange shot 32% (10-for-31) from the field, but connected on four three-point field goals. The Trojans were a perfect 7-for-7 from the foul line.

William Woods continued their hot shooting from the field in the second half and outscored the Trojans 39-28 to earn a tough victory.

Rachel Baker led the Owls in scoring with 14 points. Baker also collected eight rebounds, four blocks, four assists, and five steals. Jestine Gerber added 13 points and six rebounds for WWU. Miranda Loesch completed the double-figure scoring with 10 points.

Sara Rondeau led the Trojans in scoring with 15 points. Michiko Namba added 12 points for HLC. Abby Rankin and Kerry McDermott scored 11 points each in the loss. Rankin added eight rebounds for Hannibal-LaGrange.

William Woods shot 46% from the field for the contest. The Owls grabbed 34 rebounds and committed only 10 turnovers.

Hannibal-LaGrange (7-13, 4-3) shot 36% from the field for the game. The Trojans collected 39 rebounds and committed 17 turnovers.

The Owls (11-8, 7-0) extended its winning streak to 11 games. They will return to action on Saturday, January 31st. They will host Missouri Baptist University (12-6, 5-2) at 2:00 in Anderson Arena.

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Release Provided by the AMC

WWU's Baker Grabs Second Straight AMC Player of the Week Award

(LEBANON, Ill., Jan. 27)--For the second consecutive week, Rachel Baker has captured American Midwest Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week honors.

Baker, a 6-0 sophomore forward from Mexico, Mo., had another productive week in leading the Owls to three conference victories and the top spot in the AMC standings. In the three contests, Baker averaged 17 points and 15.3 rebounds per outing. She shot 38.2 percent from the field (21-of-55) while connecting on 72.7 percent of her free throw attempts (8-of-11).

In two of the three games, Baker posted a double-double in points and rebounds. She registered 22 points and 13 rebounds as William Woods held off an upset bid from Stephens College, 67-62. Just two days later, Baker netted 23 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in leading the Owls to a 72-51 upset of Columbia College, which was ranked No. 10 in NAIA Division I and carried a 16-game win streak into the contest.

Baker also registered eight blocked shots, five steals and five assists for the week. Through six AMC games in 2009, Baker is averaging 19.5 points and 13.2 rebounds per contest.

The William Woods University Owls are currently 10-8 overall and lead the AMC with a 6-0 record.

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Women's Basketball Stays Perfect in AMC

(SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Jan. 24)--The William Woods University women's basketball team earned another American Midwest Conference victory at the University of Illinois-Springfield on Saturday afternoon. The Owls defeated the Prairie Stars 75-66.

UIS took a four-point lead into halftime. The Owls were held to 30% shooting from the field during the opening half. The Prairie Stars shot 43% in the half.

William Woods turned up the defensive pressure in the second half. The Owls outscored the Prairie Stars 48-35, and held UIS to 36% shooting down the stretch.

The Owls were led in scoring by Eshell Estrella with 25 points. Jill Sutton added 14 points in the victory. Cameo Holly and Miranda Loesch added 11 and 10 points respectively for WWU. Rachel Baker grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.

UIS (3-15, 1-5) was led in scoring by Jeanell Randolph and Erin Glogovsky with 14 points each.

William Woods (10-8, 6-0) shot 40% from the floor, and 90% from the foul line to stay perfect in the AMC. They will return to action on January 29th. They will host Hannibal-LaGrange College in another AMC match-up.

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Women's Basketball Rolls Past #10 Cougars

(FULTON, Mo., Jan. 22)--The William Woods University women's basketball team picked up an impressive 72-51 win over #10 Columbia College on Thursday evening in Anderson Arena. With both teams tied atop the American Midwest Conference standings, the Owls, in front of a capacity crowd, claimed sole possession with a 21-point victory.

Defense was the story in the first half. William Woods took a 25-22 lead into halftime. William Woods shot 31% from the field in the opening half, the Cougars shot 26%.

The Owls continued the defensive pressure throughout the contest. William Woods shot 54% and outscored Columbia College 47-29 in the second half to run away with the victory. The Owls held the Cougars to 31% shooting for the second half, and 29% for the game.

Rachel Baker, last week's AMC women's basketball player of the week, made a push for back-to-back honors with a 23 point, 20 rebound effort. Jestine Gerber and Eshell Estrella added 11 points apiece. Miranda Loesch completed the double-figure scoring with 10 points. Loesch also grabbed 12 rebounds in the victory.

#10 Columbia (18-2, 4-1) was led in scoring by Rachel Oswald with 15 points. Whitney Widaman added 12 points in the loss. Oswald and Fiona Sparks collected six rebounds each for CC.

William Woods has now won nine consecutive games, including five AMC victories.

William Woods (9-8, 5-0) will return to action on Saturday, January 24th. The Owls will travel to the University of Illinois-Springfield for another AMC match-up.

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Owls Stay Perfect in Conference

(COLUMBIA, Mo., Jan. 20)--The William Woods University women's basketball team earned another American Midwest Conference victory at Stephens College on Tuesday evening. The Owls defeated the Stars 67-62 to improve to 8-8 overall, and 4-0 in the AMC.

Jestine Gerber led the Owls in scoring with 24 points. Gerber was 9-for-17 from the field, including 4-for-8 from behind the three-point line. Rachel Baker added 22 points and a game-high 13 rebounds in the victory.

Both teams had to fight for every basket throughout the contest. The Owls finished the night shooting 38% from the field, and 58% from the foul line. The Stars shot 34% from the field.

Vanessa Koonce led the Stars (7-6, 0-4) with 16 points in the loss. Kerri Shanks added 15 points for Stephens.

William Woods will return to action on Thursday, January 22nd. The Owls will host AMC foe, and 10th ranked Columbia College, at 5:30 pm in the Anderson Arena. Both teams sit atop the AMC standings at 4-0.

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Release Provided by the American Midwest Conference

Rachel Baker earns Player of the Week Honors

(LEBANON, Ill., Jan. 19)--Rachel Baker from William Woods University has earned American Midwest Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week accolades for the week of Jan. 12-18.

Baker, a 6-0 sophomore forward from Mexico, Mo., averaged 23.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in leading the Owls to a pair of AMC wins on the week. Baker shot an even 50 percent (19-of-38) from the field and 89 percent (8-of-9) from the foul line. She also had seven steals, five blocks and four assists in wins against Williams Baptist College and Harris-Stowe State University.

In the Owls' 86-67 win at home against Harris-Stowe, Baker poured in 31 points and grabbed eight rebounds. She was 12-of-21 from the field and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw stripe. Baker opened her week with a 16-point, nine-rebound performance in a 58-49 William Woods win against Williams Baptist.

This season, Baker leads the Owls in both scoring (17.6 points) and rebounds (9.5) per game. She has connected on 53.7 percent of her field goal tries and also had a team-best 26 blocked shots. The William Woods women's basketball team has won its last seven games.

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Women’s Basketball Defeats Harris-Stowe

(FULTON, Mo., Jan. 17)--The William Woods University women’s basketball team defeated visiting Harris-Stowe State University 86-67 in Anderson Arena on Saturday afternoon. William Woods improves to 7-8 overall, and 3-0 in the American Midwest Conference.

William Woods ran out to a 38-29 lead heading into the half. The Owls shot 40% from the field in the opening half. Harris-Stowe shot 43% from the field in the half.

The Owls outscored the Hornets 48-38 in the second half to secure the victory.

William Woods was led in scoring by Rachel Baker with 31 points. Jill Sutton and Jestine Gerber added 14 points and 13 points respectively for the Owls. Baker also grabbed a game-high eight rebounds in the win.

Harris-Stowe (2-11, 1-3) was led in scoring by Sheri Jones. Keyuana Bradshaw and Lanikia Lawrence added 15 points and 11 points respectively.

The Owls shot 43% from the field, and 86% from the foul line for the game. WWU outrebounded HSSU 46-31.

William Woods will return to action on Tuesday, January 20th. The Owls will travel to Stephens College for an AMC contest.

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William Woods Women's Basketball to Forfeit Games
(FULTON, Mo., Jan. 16)--The William Woods University women’s basketball team will forfeit seven victories for inadvertently using an ineligible player during the 2008-09 basketball season. The Owls drop from 13-1 (2-0 in the American Midwest Conference) to 6-8 (2-0 in the AMC).

"A mistake was made during the eligibility process," said Athletics Director Larry York. "We self-reported our findings to the AMC and the NAIA, and regret that we will have to forfeit the first nine contests of the 2008-09 season."

The University became aware that it may have used an ineligible player prior to the Winter Break. At that time, the University began an internal review into the eligibility of the student-athlete in question, and withheld her from further competition. Upon completion of the internal review, it was determined that there was a misinterpretation of part-time enrollment at a previously attended community college, and the student-athlete in question did not meet the eligibility guidelines of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the American Midwest Conference (AMC).

Athletics Director Larry York submitted the findings to the AMC eligibility board and the NAIA. The AMC has recommended, and the NAIA has approved, the following actions:
1.) William Woods shall notify all applicable institutions that an ineligible student was allowed to compete. Where appropriate, forfeits are to be awarded.
2.) The student-athlete will be charged with one season of competition.
3.) William Woods' intercollegiate athletics program is hereby officially reprimanded. A reprimand is an institutional notification that a violation has occurred and requires a written response for the corrective measures to be taken.

In accordance with NAIA by-laws, the individual statistics of any student-athlete declared ineligible by a member institution, conference, or the NAIA for any portion of the season shall not be included in the national statistical ranking.

Also, team statistics in any completed contest which is termed a forfeit will stand. The actual results of the contest as well as the coach's record will be changed to reflect the forfeit.

Additionally, all the statistics from the student-athlete in question shall be deleted from the records. Individual statistics earned by eligible students shall stand. All team and individual statistics for the offending opponents shall remain intact and unaffected.

The Owls will forfeit the following contests:
11/1 vs. Baptist Bible College
11/4 vs. Culver-Stockton College
11/7 at William Penn College
11/10 vs. Benedictine College
11/18 at College of the Ozarks (lost 61-84)
11/21 vs. Missouri Valley College
11/25 at Lincoln University
11/29 at Truman State University (exhibition game not counted on overall record)
12/1 vs. Lindenwood University

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Owls Improve to 2-0 in the AMC

(WALNUT RIDGE, Ark., Jan. 16)--The William Woods University women's basketball team improved to 2-0 in the American Midwest Conference with a 58-49 victory at Williams Baptist College on Thursday evening.

The Owls were led in scoring by Rachel Baker with 16 points. Miranda Loesch added 13 points in the win for William Woods. Baker grabbed a game-high nine rebounds in the victory.

The Owls shot 42% from the floor in the win. They outrebounded Williams Baptist 43-35.

William Woods will return to action on Saturday, January 17th. The Owls will host Harris-Stowe State University in an AMC match-up.

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Owls Open AMC Play With Victory

(LEBANON, Ill., Jan. 8)--The William Woods women's basketball team defeated McKendree University 66-56 in its opening American Midwest Conference contest on Thursday evening.

The Owls outscored the Bearcats 35-24 in the second half to earn its 12th victory of the season, and first AMC win.

Rachel Baker scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds to lead the Owls to victory. Miranda Loesch added 14 points in the win for WWU.

McKendree (8-5, 0-1) was led in scoring by Katie Fullerton with 15 points.

The Owls shot 50% from the field for the game. The Bearcats shot 34% from the field for the game. WWU outrebounded the Bearcats 66-56.

The Owls (12-1, 1-0) will return to action on January 15th. They will travel to Williams Baptist College for another AMC match-up.

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WWU Tops Brescia

(COLUMBIA, Mo., Jan. 3)--The William Woods University women's basketball team defeated Brescia University in the Columbia College Coaches vs. Cancer Classic on Saturday afternoon. The Owls defeated Brescia 69-63.

Jill Sutton led the Owls in scoring with 19 points. Rachel Baker added 18 points in the win for WWU. Miranda Loesch and Megan Aubuchon each grabbed seven rebounds in the win.

The Owls improve to 11-1 on the season. They will return to action on January 8th. The Owls will open American Midwest Conference play at McKendree University.

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Owls Return To Action

(Columbia, Mo., Jan. 2)--The William Woods University women's basketball team defeated Park University in the Columbia College Coaches vs. Cancer Classic on Friday afternoon. The Owls defeated Park 70-47. It was the first game for the Owls since leaving campus for Winter Break.

Rachel Baker scored a team-high 18 points in the win for William Woods. Eshell Estrella and Jestine Gerber each scored 12 points in the win. Miranda Loesch grabbed a team-high seven rebounds for WWU.

The Owls improve to 10-1 on the season. They will return to action on Saturday, January 3rd, in the Columbia College Classic. The Owls will play Brescia University at 2:00 pm.

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Local TV Features Rachel Baker

KOMU TV-8 (Columbia, Mo.)

FULTON - It's not often a great high school basketball player gives up a college scholarship, but one of mid-Missouri's best female hoopsters decided to use her hands for more than just shooting.

Read the Story - Watch the Video

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Women's Basketball Earns Road Victory

(LAWRENCE, Kans., Dec. 15)--The William Woods University women’s basketball team defeated the University of St. Mary 67-55 in Lawrence, Kans.

The two teams went to the half tied at 29. The Owls outscored the Spires 38-26 in the second half en route to the victory.

Jill Sutton led the Owls in scoring with 15 points. Miranda Loesch and Eshell Estrella added 14 points each in the victory for WWU. Rachel Baker grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds for the Owls.

Rani Jacobs scored a game-high 18 points for USM (7-4).

USM shot 44% from the field for the game. WWU shot 38% from the field in the win. William Woods outrebounded the University of St. Mary 37-23. The Owls forced 24 turnovers, and were limited to 16 of their own.

William Woods (9-1) will return to action on January 2nd in the Columbia College Cougars vs. Cancer Classic. The Owls will play Park University at 2:00 pm.

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Women's Basketball Defeats Haskell

(FULTON, Mo., Dec. 6)--The William Woods University women’s basketball team defeated visiting Haskell Indian Nations University 66-61 on Saturday afternoon in Anderson Arena.

Rachel Baker scored a team-high 17 points in the win for William Woods. Miranda Loesch added 16 points in the win for the Owls. Loesch grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.

Maria Parker scored a game-high 22 points in the loss for Haskell (7-4). Kortney Smith added 19 points in the loss for the Indians. Parker, Justina George, and Sharon Forte grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.

William Woods improves to 8-1 on the season. They will return to action on Monday, December 15th. The Owls will travel to the University of St. Mary (Kans.)

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Women's Basketball Defeats Lindenwood

(FULTON, Mo., Dec. 1)--The William Woods University women's basketball team defeated visiting Lindenwood University 70-64 in Anderson Arena on Monday night.

The Owls used great defensive play to take a 34-23 lead into halftime. The Owls held the Lions to 15% shooting for the half.

Eshell Estrella scored 10 points to lead the Owls in the first half. Megan Aubuchon grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Owls. WWU shot 48% from the field (12 for 25) and 64% from the foul line (7-11).

William Woods pushed its lead to 14 points on a field goal from Estrella with 6:49 remaining in the game. The Lions went on a 19-6 run to cut the lead to three points with 1:10 remaining. Rachel Baker added a field goal and two free throws down the stretch to push the lead back to seven points for the Owls.

Baker scored a game-high 22 points in the victory for William Woods. Estrella and Aubuchon added 15 and 11 points respectively for the Owls. Miranda Loesch grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds for WWU. Loesch and Estrella added four assists each in the win for the Owls.

Shay Chin and Abby Schultenhenrich each scored a team-high 12 points in the loss for Lindenwood. Chin grabbed a team-high nine rebounds in the loss.

William Woods shot 47% from the floor in the win. Lindenwood shot 28% from the floor in the loss. The Owls outrebounded the Lions 60-34 on the evening.

Lindenwood falls to 4-5 on the season. William Woods improves to 7-1 on the year. The Owls received six votes in this week's NAIA Top 25 ranking. They will return to action on Saturday, December 6th. The Owls will host Haskell Indian Nations at 3:00 pm, in Anderson Arena.

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Owls Win at Lincoln

(Jefferson City, Mo., Nov. 25) -The William Woods University women's basketball team defeated Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, on Tuesday evening. The Owls defeated the Blue Tigers 72-50.

Rachel Baker scored a game-high 24 points, and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds in the win for the Owls. Miranda Loesch added 11 points and six rebounds in the win.

The Owls improve to 6-1 on the season. They will return to action on Saturday, November 29th, at Truman State University (exhibition).

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Women's Basketball Improves to 5-1

(FULTON, Mo., Nov. 21) -The William Woods University women's basketball team defeated visiting Missouri Valley College 67-46 in Anderson Arena on Friday night.

The Vikings took a 2-0 lead on a field goal from Ashley Sequeira to start the game. That was the last lead the Vikings would have on the evening. The Owls built a 33-19 lead heading into the half. Miranda Loesch led the Owls in scoring in the first half with 10 points. Loesch also grabbed seven rebounds in the opening half for the Owls.

William Woods shot 41% from the field in the half. Missouri Valley shot 22% from the field in the half.

The Owls took its largest lead (29 points) on a field goal by Kelsey Frey with 11:31 remaining in the game. The Owls outscored the Vikings 34-27 in the second half.

Loesch and Jill Sutton scored a team-high 12 points apiece for William Woods. Jestine Gerber and Amanda Workman added seven points each in the win. Rachel Baker collected a team-high eight rebounds in the win for the Owls.

William Woods shot 46% from the floor for the game. Missouri Valley shot 27% from the floor for the game. The Owls outrebounded the Vikings 47-40. WWU improves to 5-1 on the season. MVC falls to 0-7 on the season.

William Woods will return to action on November 25th. The Owls will travel to Lincoln University.

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Owls Drop First Game

(POINT LOOKOUT, Mo., Nov. 18)--The William Woods University women’s basketball team dropped their first game of the season on Tuesday night. The Owls lost at the College of the Ozarks 61-84. The College of the Ozarks entered the game as the 3rd ranked team in the NAIA Division II preseason poll.

The Bobcats held a five point lead heading into halftime (36-31). The Owls shot 40% from the field in the half. COFO shot 45% in the half to take a five point halftime lead.

COFO continued to shoot well in the second half (46%) and outscored the Owls 48-30 to secure the victory. William Woods was held to 37% shooting in the second half.

Cameo Holly scored a team-high 15 points for William Woods in the loss. Miranda Loesch added nine points for WWU. Jill Sutton grabbed a team-high five rebounds in the loss for the Owls.

William Woods (4-1) will return to action on Friday, November 21st. The Owls will host Missouri Valley College at 6:00 in Anderson Arena.

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Women’s Basketball Improves to 4-0

(FULTON, Mo., Nov. 10)--The William Woods University women’s basketball team defeated visiting Benedictine College 60-56 on Monday night in Anderson Arena.  The Owls improve to 4-0 with the victory.

Benedictine took a 30-27 lead into halftime.  The Owls were held to 33% shooting for the half.  Benedictine shot 44% for the half en route to the lead.

The Owls defense clamped down in the second half.  William Woods held the Ravens to 24% shooting in the second half.  William Woods connected on 17 of 24 free throws in the half to pull away for the win.

Rachel Baker had a game-high 20 points for WWU in the win.  She also grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds.  Baker is averaging 12.3 rebounds and 19.5 points per game.  Eshell Estrella added 15 points for William Woods.  Jill Sutton chipped in 12 points for the Owls.

William Woods outrebounded Benedictine 49-39.  Both teams committed 23 turnovers a piece.

Benedictine falls to 0-1 on the year.  The Owls have now matched its win total from the 2007-08 season.

William Woods will return to action on Tuesday, November 18th.  They will travel to the College of the Ozarks.  The College of the Ozarks is ranked third in the NAIA Division II preseason poll. 

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Women's Basketball Opens Season 3-0

(Oskaloosa, Iowa, Nov. 7)--The William Woods University women's basketball team defeated host William Penn University 73-59 on Saturday.  The Owls improve to 3-0 with the victory.  

William Woods held William Penn to 8% shooting in the first half.  Behind exceptional defense, the Owls took a 31-13 lead into the half.  

Rachel Baker scored a game-high 20 points for the Owls in the win.  Baker also grabbed a game-high 18 rebounds.  Cameo Holly and Megan Aubuchon added 11 and 10 points apiece in the victory.  

The Owls, who never trailed in the game, held William Penn to 24% shooting from the field.  The Owls outrebounded William Penn 60-49.  

William Woods will return to action on Monday, November 10th.  The Owls will host Benedictine College at 7:00 pm in Anderson Arena.

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Women’s Basketball Tops Culver-Stockton
(FULTON, Mo., Nov. 4)--The William Woods University women’s basketball team defeated visiting Culver-Stockton College 73-62 on Tuesday night in Anderson Arena.  William Woods improves to 2-0 with the victory.

The Owls took a 32-29 lead into the half.  Both teams took turns shutting the other down on the defensive side of the ball.  The Wildcats shot 38% from the field in the first half.  The Owls shot 34% from the field in the half.

The Owls continued the defensive pressure in the second half en route to the victory.  The Owls held the Wildcats to 36% shooting from the field, and outscored CSC 41-33 to complete the win.

Rachel Baker (Mexico, Mo.) recorded a game-high 25 points and 11 rebounds in the win for the Owls.  Cameo Holly (Columbia, Mo.) added 12 points for William Woods.  Eshell Estrella (Santa Ana, Calif.), Jill Sutton (Warrenton, Mo.), and Megan Aubuchon (Old Monroe, Mo.) each added seven points for the Owls.

Breezy Guymon led the Wildcats with 13 points.  Jamai Letcher added 11 points in the loss for CSC.  Culver-Stockton falls to 0-1 on the year.

WWU outrebounded CSC 48-38.  Culver-Stockton falls to 0-1 on the season.

William Woods will return to action on Friday, November 7th.  The Owls will travel to William Penn University.

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Women’s Basketball Wins Season Opener

(FULTON, Mo., Nov. 1)--The William Woods University women’s basketball team defeated visiting Baptist Bible College on Saturday afternoon in Anderson Arena.  The Owls defeated the Patriots 86-38.

The Owls raced out to a 45-13 halftime lead and never looked back.

Rachel Baker (Mexico, Mo.) scored a team-high 13 points in the win for William Woods.  Megan Aubuchon (Old Monroe, Mo.) and Eshell Estrella (Santa Ana, Calif.) added 11 and 10 points each.  Laken Enochs (Harrisburg, Mo.) recorded a game-high seven assists for the Owls in the win.

The Owls defense held the Patriots to 23% shooting for the game.  William Woods shot 45% in the victory.  William Woods outrebounded Baptist Bible College 50-45.

BBC falls to 1-1 on the season.  WWU improves to 1-0 on the season.  The Owls will return to action on Tuesday, November 4th.  They will host Culver-Stockton College at 7:00 pm.

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Women's Basketball Opens Season on November 1st

On November 1st, the William Woods University women's basketball team will host Baptist Bible College at 5:30 pm, in Anderson Arena.

Interview with Coach Dan Chapla:

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Women's Basketball Pre-Season AMC Poll Released

Release Provided by the American Midwest Conference

(LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 22)-Columbia College is favored to win the 2008-09 American Midwest Conference regular-season championship, according the AMC pre-season poll released Wednesday afternoon by the conference office.

McKendree University grabbed the three remaining first-place votes and came in second with 58 points. The Bearcats, 24-8 overall and 13-1 in the league last year, claimed the AMC regular-season and tournament championships and qualified for the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship for the fifth consecutive year under the guidance of head coach Melissa Ringhausen. McKendree will look to senior returning starters Emily Best and Kelsey Park for leadership. Best (13.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG) was an All-Conference selection in 2007-08, while Park (6.8 PPG, 103 assists) enters her fourth year as a starter for the Bearcats.

With 50 points, Missouri Baptist University took the third spot in the AMC pre-season ranking. Head coach Danny Wingate has top returnees in senior guard Miroslava Harcegova (8 PPG, 41% 3-pt. FG) and senior forward Sommer McCauley (9.7 PPG) to go along with a solid recruiting class.

William Woods University (37 points) earned the No. 4 position in the poll, just ahead of the University of Illinois at Springfield (36 points). Harris-Stowe State University, which reached the second round of the NAIA Tournament in the spring, claims sixth place in the AMC ranking. Rounding out the pre-season poll are Williams Baptist College (24 points), Hannibal-LaGrange College (17 points) and the newest member of the conference, Stephens College (12 points).

The 2008-09 AMC schedule begins on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009 and runs through Saturday, Feb. 28. The AMC Tournament will be held March 2, 4, 6 and 9. The post-season champion will earn the conference's automatic bid to the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship, which runs March 18-24 at Oman Arena in Jackson, Tenn.

2008-09 AMC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PRE-SEASON POLL

(FIRST-PLACE VOTES IN PARENTHESES)

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Women's Basketball Announces their 2008-2009 Schedule

Head Women's Basketball Coach Dan Chapla has announced the 2008-09 William Woods University Women's Basketball Schedule. The Owls will open their season on November 1st against Baptist Bible College. William Woods will begin its American Midwest Conference schedule on January 8th at McKendree University.

For the complete schedule click HERE.