Southeastern Wins 2008 Lady Fire Classic
(11-22-08)

LAKELAND, Fla.--The Southeastern University women's basketball team won the 2008 Lady Fire Classic, Saturday, with a 68-59 victory over Philadelphia Biblical University.

The Lady Fire got down by as many as 17 points in the first half, but battled back to cut the lead to 37-26 at halftime.

Southeastern outscored the Crimson Eagles 42-22 in the second half, mostly due to an outstanding rebounding effort. The Lady Fire out-rebounded Philadelphia Biblical 61-38 on the game and had 33 offensive rebounds, which led to numerous second-chance points for Southeastern.

Amanda Hudson led Southeastern with 16 points and nine rebounds, while freshman Latesha McDonald recorded another double-double for the tournament, scoring 15 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

Charity Kidder chipped in with eight points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Kidder was named Tournament MVP after scoring a season-high 31 points in last night's victory over LaGrange College.

McDonald and Danielle Suarez were both named to the All-Tournament Team. Suarez had seven points, six rebounds, and five assists in Saturday's victory.

Erica Auffrey added eight points and three steals.

Southeastern is now 4-4 on the year and will host NAIA Ave Maria University, Monday, at 5:00 p.m.

Southeastern Earns Victory in Double Overtime
(11-21-08)

LAKELAND, Fla.--The Southeastern University Lady Fire basketball team earned a hard-fought victory Friday night, defeating LaGrange College 114-110 in double overtime.

Southeastern's Danielle Suarez hit a three-pointer at the end of regulation to force overtime at 93-93.

LaGrange held a two-point lead with just 32 seconds remaining in overtime when Charity Kidder drove to the basket and tied the game, 101-101, to force the second overtime.

The Lady Fire outscored LaGrange 13-9 in the second overtime thanks to Latesha McDonald and Kidder, who did most of the scoring in the second half. Kidder scored 21 points in the second half plus the overtimes. She finished with 31 points, seven rebounds, and four assists while shooting 12-of-14 from the floor. She also went 7-for-7 from the free throw line.

Southeastern shot 50% from the floor for the game, which was exactly what Head Coach Ed Plastow needed as the Lady Fire offense had been brutally cold from the field in recent games.

McDonald scored a career-high 30 points while also grabbing 15 rebounds. McDonald went 12-for-14 at the free throw line for the game.

Amanda Hudson scored nine points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Suarez finished with 15 points. Sarah Woesch scored 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

Southeastern is now 3-4 on the year and will host Philadelphia Biblical University, Saturday, at 3:00 p.m.

Lady Fire Defeats Lincoln Christian; Falls To Asbury and Kentucky Christian
(11-18-08)

GRAYSON, Ky.--The Southeastern Lady Fire basketball team defeated Lincoln Christian College, 58-41, on Thursday, but then dropped its next two games in the 2008 Kentucky Christian Invitational Tournament.

Southeastern held Lincoln Christian to just 27% shooting for the game, and only shot 28% itself, but dominated Lincoln Christian on the boards, outrebounding them 52-38.

Amanda Hudson had 12 points and nine rebounds, while Latesha McDonald scored 11 points and grabbed six rebounds. Jeni Molitor had 12 rebounds off the bench and added eight points.

Southeastern then fell to Asbury College, 61-48, on Friday night. Erica Auffrey led Southeastern with 15 points, while McDonald chipped in with eight points and nine rebounds.

Southeastern led 24-23 at halftime, but was outscored 38-24 in the second half. Asbury College's Ellen Gray led all scorers with 23 points.

On Saturday, Southeastern rematched the defending NCCAA II National Champions, Kentucky Christian College, and fell 55-39. It was Kentucky Christian's second victory over Southeastern this season.

McDonald had eight points and 10 rebounds, but Southeastern stayed cold from the field, shooting just 22% for the game. Southeastern shot a miserable 15% in the first half, and The Lady Knights held Southeastern to just 13 first-half points, taking a 28-13 lead into halftime.

Kentucky Christian's Heather Stacy led all scorers with 16 points.

Southeastern (2-4) will host the Lady Fire Classic this weekend, starting Friday night when Southeastern battles LaGrange College at 7:00 p.m.

Southeastern will play Philadelphia Biblical University, Saturday, at 3:00 p.m.

Lady Fire Ends Tournament With 71-39 Victory Over Pensacola Christian
(11-10-08)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University women's basketball team earned its first victory in the young season by hammering Pensacola Christian College, 71-39, Saturday afternoon before its home crowd.

The Lady Fire was led by Amanda Hudson's 16 points and seven rebounds as four SEU players scored in double figures.

Charity Kidder scored 14 points, dished out four assists, and had two steals. Latesha McDonald and Sarah Woesch both added 12 points and six rebounds apiece. Woesch also had four assists.

Southeastern (1-2) held PCC to just 21% shooting in the first half and took a 43-8 lead into halftime. The Lady Fire defense also forced 39 turnovers in the game.

Southeastern will now travel to Grayson, Kentucky, next week to play in the Super 8 Classic, starting Thursday afternoon versus Lincoln Christian College. The Lady Fire will battle Asbury College on Friday and finish the tournament with a rematch versus defending NCCAA II national champion Kentucky Christian University.

SEU fell to KCU Thursday night, 47-44, in overtime.

Lady Fire Falls To Tennessee Temple, 59-48

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University women's basketball team fell to Tennessee Temple University, 59-48, Friday night in the second day of the 2008 Southeastern invitational tournament.

SEU shot just 29% from the field and had just one player in double figures.

Freshman Latesha McDonald scored a game-high 16 points and added seven rebounds.

Amanda Hudson added nine points and seven rebounds while Sarah Woesch chipped in with eight points and eight rebounds.

Tennessee Temple outscored Southeastern 35-21 in the first half as the Lady Fire struggled offensively for the second night in a row.

Elisa Hardy had 12 points while Christina Barnes and Stephanie Lovett both added 10 points apiece for Tennessee Temple.

Southeastern (0-2) will play Pensacola Christian College, Saturday at 3:00 p.m.

Lady Fire Falls In Overtime to Kentucky Christian
(11-07-08)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University women's basketball team opened up its season with a 47-44 loss to defending NCCAA II national champion Kentucky Christian University in overtime Thursday night.

The Lady Fire led by four points with just two minutes remaining in regulation, and the defending champs rallied to tie the game.

With just 20 seconds remaining, Lady Fire guard Danielle Suarez knocked down a jumper to give SEU a 44-42 lead.

But Kentucky Christian's Kristin Hecht scored inside with just nine seconds remaining to tie the game 44-44 at the end of regulation.

It was a sloppy game throughout, as both teams failed to shoot over 30% from the floor and combined for 47 turnovers in the game. KCU outscored SEU 3-0 in overtime and won its fourth straight game over Southeastern.

Freshman Letesha McDonald scored 10 points and grabbed 12 rebounds while Mandy Liebig was the only other Lady Fire player to score in double digits with 11 points. Suarez finished with nine points and five rebounds.

Kentucky Christian's Kelsie Thrasher led all scorers with 17 points while also grabbing 11 rebounds.

Southeastern(0-1) will host Tennessee Temple University tonight at 7:00 p.m. The Lady Fire will then host Pensacola Christian College, Saturday at 3:00 p.m.

Kidder Named South Region Player of the Year
(04-08-08)

Junior guard Charity Kidder was named the South Region Player of the Year for the Southeastern University Lady Fire basketball team.

Kidder averaged 15.3 points, 5.0 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game for SEU.

With the award, Southeastern has now had a player named the South Region Player of the Year for the fourth year in a row. Trisha Moody started the streak back in 2005 and was renamed the player of the year in 2006. Krystian Thompson earned the award for the Lady Fire last season.

Kidder was also named an All-American First Team player this season.

Joining Kidder as an All-Region First Team player was freshman Casey Jensen. Jensen averaged 14.2 points and 13.1 rebounds per game, as she was also named an All-American Honorable Mention player.

Heather Kitts and Sarah Woesch were both named South Region Honorable Mention players while Kitts along with Rebekah Cohen and Currie Powers were all named national Scholar-Athletes.

NATIONALS: Lady Fire Takes Sixth Place; Kidder Named All-American
(03-17-08)

Grayson, Ky.--The Southeastern University women's basketball team finished sixth in the nation after falling to Southwestern College, 67-61, Saturday afternoon in the final day of the 2008 NCCAA II women's basketball national championship tournament.

SEU opened up the tournament by losing to No. 3 seed Hillsdale Free Will Baptist, 94-69. Hillsdale would eventually make it to the national championship game and lose to No. 1 seed Kentucky Christian University, 76-68.

The Lady Fire's only win in the tournament came against No. 2 seed Philadelphia Biblical University on Friday. SEU defeated PBU, 73-55, behind Charity Kidder's 18 points and five rebounds.

Casey Jensen added 14 points and 13 rebounds as SEU jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the game and never trailed.

Heather Kitts chipped in with 12 points in the win.

Kidder was named an All-American First Team member while Jensen was named to the All-American Honorable Mention Team.

Rebekah Cohen, Heather Kitts, and Currie Powers were all named 2008 Scholar-Athletes.

Southeastern finishes the season with a 21-16 overall record.

NATIONALS: Lady Fire Earns No. 6 Seed
(03-02-08)

LAKELAND--Fresh off its South Region title on Saturday, the Southeastern University women's basketball team earned the No. 6 seed in the 2008 NCCAA II National Tournament, March 11-15, in Grayson, Kentucky.

This year's national tournament will be hosted by defending national champion Kentucky Christian University, which also earned the tournament's No. 1 seed.

Southeastern (20-14) will face the No. 3 seed, Hillsdale Free Will Baptist, Thursday at 4:00 p.m.

The winner will advance to the NCCAA II Final Four. SEU advanced to the school's first NCCAA II Final Four last season before being defeated by Kentucky Christian University, 73-64.

TOURNAMENT SEEDS
1. Kentucky Christian University
2. Philadephia Biblical University
3. Hillsdale Free Will Baptist College
4. Maranatha Baptist Bible College
5. North Central University
6. Southeastern University
7. Grace Bible College
8. Ozark Christian College
9. Southwestern College (Arizona)
10. Southwestern Christian College

Lady Fire Repeats As South Region Champions
(03-01-08)

WINSTON-SALEM, NC--The Southeastern women's basketball team repeated as South Region Champions, Saturday, when they defeated Toccoa Falls College, 66-64, in overtime.

Freshman Casey Jensen led the Lady Fire with 18 points, while Charity Kidder added 13 points.

Danielle Suarez and Mandy Liebig both chipped in with nine points apiece.

Southeastern is now 20-14 on the year and finishes the season with a 9-1 record within the region.

SEU will now get an automatic bid into the NCCAA II National Tournament, March 11-15, in Grayson, Kentucky. Defending national champions Kentucky Christian University will be this year's host school.

National seedings and tournament schedules will be released Sunday night.

Lady Fire Advances To South Region Championship Game
(02-29-08)

WINSTON-SALEM, NC--The Southeastern University women's basketball team is one win away from repeating as South Region Champions, as they defeated Clearwater Christian College, 77-65, Friday night.

Charity Kidder led the Lady Fire with 19 points, while Casey Jensen added 18 points.

Sarah Woesch and Danielle Suarez both chipped in with 14 points apiece.

Southeastern will take on Toccoa Falls College, Saturday, for the South Region title at 1:00 p.m.

The Lady Fire went 2-0 versus Toccoa Falls College during the regular season and is now 19-14 on the year overall and 8-1 in the South Region.

With a win on Saturday, the Southeastern Lady Fire will have captured its fourth South Region title in five years.

Lady Fire Drops Pair of Games To NAIA Opponents
(02-18-08)

LAKE WALES--The Southeastern women's basketball team lost a close game to NAIA Warner Southern College this past Wednesday night, 66-62, as the Lady Fire dropped its second game in a week to NAIA opponents.

Charity Kidder led the Lady Fire with 20 points while Sarah Woesch recorded a double-double, scoring 12 points while grabbing 13 rebounds.

Casey Jensen chipped in with 15 points.

The Lady Fire also fell to St. Thomas University this past Monday night, 64-39.

Jensen led SEU with 17 points before fouling out.

Southeastern (17-14, 7-1) will close out its regular season by hosting NAIA Johnson & Wales University, Tuesday, at 5:00 p.m.

The Lady Fire will be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming South Region championship tournament, February 28 - March 1, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Lady Fire Wins Close One Against Clearwater Christian; Clinch No. 1 Seed In Upcoming South Region Tournament
(02-11-08)

CLEARWATER--The Southeastern University women's basketball team defeated Clearwater Christian College, 66-63, Saturday afternoon to earn the No. 1 seed in the upcoming South Region championship tournament.

The Lady Fire is now 7-1 overall in the South Region and 17-12 overall. SEU's only loss in the South Region came in Atlanta to Atlanta Christian College, back on January 25.

Charity Kidder led the Lady Fire with 26 points while Danielle Suarez and Sarah Woesch added 12 and 11 points, respectively.

It was Southeastern's third victory over Clearwater Christian this season and its 11th straight victory in the series.

The Southeastern women won the 2007 South Region Championship, and the Lady Fire is seeking to win its fourth South Region Championship in five years.

The 2008 South Region championship tournament will be hosted by Piedmont Baptist College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, February 29 to March 1.

The Lady Fire will travel to Opa-Locka, Florida, on Monday to battle St. Thomas University at 6:00 p.m.

Lady Fire Gets Back On Winning Track, Defeats Atlanta Christian College, 79-55
(02-04-08)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University women's basketball team defeated Atlanta Christian College, 79-55, on Saturday behind Casey Jensen's 18 points and nine rebounds.

Charity Kidder scored 20 points and dished out four assists as Southeastern improved to 16-12 on the year and 6-1 in the South Region.

Heather Kitts chipped in with 12 points while Danielle Suarez added 11 points for the Lady Fire.

The Lady Fire shot 44% from the floor for the game and forced 21 Atlanta Christian turnovers in the game.

SEU got revenge on Atlanta Christian after losing to ACC back on January 25 in Atlanta for SEU's only South Region loss of the year.

Southeastern will next play Saturday at Clearwater Christian College.

Lady Fire Falls To Webber International On Homecoming Night
(02-01-08)

LAKELAND--Charity Kidder's game-high 22 points was not enough for the Southeastern women's basketball team Friday night for homecoming, as the Lady Fire lost to NAIA Webber International, 62-40.

SEU had a season-high 36 turnovers in the game and shot a dismal 25% from the floor; the Lady Fire scored just 15 points in the second half as 14 different Webber players scored in the game.

Casey Jensen added six points and 14 rebounds for SEU.

Southeastern is now 15-12 on the year and will host Atlanta Christian College on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

Lady Fire Wins Two of Three Games On Road Trip
(01-28-08)

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.--Casey Jensen scored 22 points while grabbing 14 rebounds in Southeastern's 61-35 victory over Piedmont Baptist College, Saturday, giving the Lady Fire two wins on its three-game road trip to Georgia and North Carolina.

Charity Kidder added 10 points and six assists in the game.

The Lady Fire fell to Atlanta Christian College, Friday night, 65-61. ACC hit some clutch shots down the stretch to give the Lady Fire its first South Region loss on the season.

Kidder led SEU with 22 points while Jensen chipped in with 10 points.

SEU opened up the three-game road trip with a 64-50 victory over Toccoa Falls College, Thursday night, to sweep the season series away from the Lady Eagles.

Heather Kitts and Kidder both scored 15 points apiece while Sarah Woesch grabbed 14 rebounds.

Southeastern is now 15-11 overall on the year and 6-1 in the South Region overall.

The Lady Fire will host Webber International, Friday night at 6:00 p.m. for homecoming.

Lady Fire Dominates Toccoa Falls College, 80-58
(01-19-08)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University women's basketball team won its third straight game Saturday with an 80-58 victory over South Region opponent Toccoa Falls College.

The Lady Fire held TFC to just 29% shooting in the first half and took a 48-29 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Charity Kidder scored all of her 12 points in the first half as SEU shot 52% in the first half. Kidder also finished with six rebounds.

Danielle Suarez led all scorers with 18 points while Sarah Woesch added 17 points and 13 rebounds.

Casey Jensen scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds while Heather Kitts chipped in with six points and seven steals.

Southeastern remains a perfect 4-0 in the South Region and is now 13-10 overall.

The Lady Fire will rematch Toccoa Falls College next Thursday night in Toccoa Falls, Georgia.

SEU will not play at home again until it hosts Webber International University on February 1.

Lady Fire Dominates Piedmont Baptist, 82-58
(01-18-08)

LAKELAND--Charity Kidder led the Southeastern women's basketball team past Piedmont Baptist College, 82-58, Friday night.

Kidder scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Lady Fire, who are now a perfect 3-0 in the South Region and 12-10 overall on the year.

Casey Jensen added 16 points and six rebounds while Danielle Suarez added 11 points.

Sarah Woesch scored six points and grabbed eight rebounds while Mandy Liebig chipped in with 10 points.

Southeastern will host Toccoa Falls College, Saturday, at 1:00 p.m.

Lady Fire Finishes Up Road Trip With Win Over Valley Forge
(01-14-08)

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.--The Southeastern University women's basketball team finished up a seven-game road trip Saturday by defeating Valley Forge Christian College, 97-39, in the final day of the 2008 Assemblies of God tournament.

SEU started off the seven-game road trip with a 86-78 victory over Dallas Christian College back on January 4.

All five starters scored in double digits as Charity Kidder scored a team-high 23 points while Heather Kitts added 18 points in the game.

The following night, SEU stomped on Barclay College (Haviland, Kans.) 76-20, as Mandy Liebig scored 16 points and Casey Jensen added 14 points for the game.

Next, the Lady Fire traveled to Joplin, Missouri, to battle with Ozark Christian College. Ozark overcame a 12-point deficit in the final five minutes to defeat SEU, 66-62. Sarah Woesch led the Lady Fire in the game with 16 points.

SEU then traveled to Springfield, Missouri, to play Baptist Bible College on the Tuesday before the AG tournament.

The Lady Fire earned a huge victory, defeating the Lady Defenders, 71-64, behind Jensen's 21 points and Kidder's 14 points on the night.

Southeastern (11-10) then competed in the annual Assemblies of God tournament in Springfield, which was hosted this year by Central Bible College.

The Lady Fire finished second in the tournament for the second straight year.

SEU started off the tournament by defeating Central Bible College, 79-48, behind Kidder's and Jensen's 19 points apiece. Woesch added 17 points for SEU.

On Friday night, the Lady Fire fell to North Central University, 51-38, which went on to repeat as the AG tournament champion.

The Lady Fire scored a season-low in points and shot just 22% from the field for the game.

Versus Valley Forge, Jensen and Liebig both scored 20 points apiece in the win as SEU shot 62% from the field for the game.

Jensen and Kidder were both named to the AG all-tournament team.

SEU will now play five straight games versus South Region opponents, starting with a home game versus Piedmont Baptist College, Friday night, at 5:00 p.m.

SEU has lost five players since October, including career-ending injuries to guard Rebekah Cohen and center Currie Powers.

Lady Fire Ends First Semester With Win Over Johnson & Wales
(12-05-07)

MIAMI--The Southeastern University women's basketball team defeated NAIA Johnson & Wales University, 62-56, Monday night behind Casey Jensen's 17 points and 13 rebounds.

SEU trailed by four points with under four minutes remaining in the game but rallied late and improves to 6-8 on the season.

Sarah Woesch scored 12 points and grabbed 12 rebounds while Charity Kidder and Heather Kitts both added 12 points and 10 rebounds apiece.

The Lady Fire will have over a month off now. The team completed its first semester schedule, playing seven scholarship opponents. The Lady Fire also played two games against defending NCCAA II National Champion Kentucky Christian University.

SEU is ranked No. 4 in the country and will kick off its second semester by playing Dallas Christian College on January 4 in Oklahoma. The Lady Fire will then play 12 straight games versus NCCAA II opponents; the team will play its next home game on January 18 against Piedmont Baptist College.

Lady Fire Falls To Northwood
(12-03-07)

WEST PALM BEACH--The Southeastern University women's basketball team matched up with a very good NAIA Northwood University on Saturday and fell, 88-42.

Northwood went on a 24-9 run to start the second half to put the game away as the Lady Seahawks improved to 5-0 on the year.

Southeastern (5-8) was led by Charity Kidder's 17 points while Mandy Liebig added seven points and eight rebounds.

Freshman Casey Jensen added six points and 12 rebounds.

Southeastern will play NAIA Johnson & Wales University at 7:00 p.m. tonight in Miami.

Lady Fire Snaps Four-Game Losing Streak With Win Over Clearwater Christian
(11-29-07)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University women's basketball team got a much-needed victory Thursday night over rival Clearwater Christian College; the Lady Fire triumphed 71 to 53.

Southeastern had four players score in double figures; Charity Kidder led the Lady Fire with 16 points, five rebounds, and six assists.

Sarah Woesch scored 12 points while Heather Kitts and Mandy Liebig added 11 points and 10 points, respectively.

Casey Jensen scored nine points while grabbing seven rebounds for SEU, which snapped a four-game losing streak.

SEU used a late second half run to take a 38-31 halftime lead and held Clearwater Christian to just 32% shooting in the second half.

Southeastern (5-7, 2-0) has won nine straight games in the series and will travel to West Palm Beach on Saturday to play NAIA Northwood University at 2:00 p.m.

Lady Fire Falls To Warner Southern In Overtime
(11-27-07)

LAKELAND--Southeastern University fell to NAIA Warner Southern College, 68-65, in overtime Tuesday night despite coming back from a double-digit deficit late in the second half.

Warner Southern's Ivana Soberal hit a pair of free throws with 25 seconds remaining in regulation to send the game into overtime at 59-59.

SEU built a five-point lead with just under two minutes remaining in the game but could not put the Lady Royals away down the stretch.

SEU was led by Charity Kidder and Casey Jensen, who both scored 19 points. Jensen would add 13 rebounds while Heather Kitts added 11 points and eight rebounds for the Lady Fire.

Kidder managed to get a good look from behind the three-point line with just eight seconds remaining on the clock but missed the shot, and Warner Southern rebounded and ran out the clock for the victory.

Southeastern (4-7) will host Clearwater Christian College, Thursday at 5:00 p.m.

Lady Fire Routs Clearwater Christian, 76-37
(11-07-07)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University women's basketball team earned its first victory of the season with a 76-37 victory over Clearwater Christian College, Saturday afternoon, after dropping two close games to start the season.

Junior guard Charity Kidder led the Lady Fire with 23 points while Danielle Suarez added 16 points.

SEU jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, taking a 32-19 lead into the locker room at halftime.

SEU shot 50% from the floor in the first half and 53% in the second half while holding the Lady Cougars to just 25% shooting for the game.

Currie Powers scored eight points and grabbed eight rebounds as SEU outrebounded Clearwater Christian, 36-24.

Desiree McKenzie scored eight points, grabbed four rebounds, and dished out six assists for SEU.

Southeastern (1-2) will next play Webber International University in Babson Park on Saturday.

SEU Falls in Close One to Tennessee Temple, 67-59

LAKELAND--For the second straight night, the Southeastern University women's basketball team played a hard-fought game but came up just short, this time to Tennessee Temple University, 67-59, Friday night.

SEU was led by Currie Powers' 15 points and 12 rebounds; Desiree McKenzie had 11 points, six rebounds, and four steals.

Heather Kitts added 11 points for the Lady Fire.

SEU had another tough night taking care of the basketball as it turned the ball over 23 times.

Southeastern (0-2) will host Clearwater Christian College on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

Lady Fire Falls To Kentucky Christian In Season Opener
(11-02-07)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University women's basketball team fell to defending NCCAA II National Champion Kentucky Christian on Thursday night in the Lady Fire's season opener, 56-48.

SEU trailed 30-23 at halftime but grabbed the lead with just under seven minutes remaining in the game.

But trailing by only two points with three minutes remaining, the Lady Knights forced three SEU turnovers and capitalized on them down the stretch.

Southeastern finished with 24 turnovers for the game, but the Lady Fire defense played good as well, as it held KCU to just 33 percent shooting for the night.

Heather Kitts and Charity Kidder both had 12 points apiece to lead the Lady Fire.

Currie Powers added eight points and seven rebounds.

SEU will host Tennessee Temple University, Friday at 7:00 p.m.

Kentucky Christian Wins 2007 NCCAA II National Championship; Plus All-Tournament Team
(03-03-07)

LAKELAND--No. 1 seed Kentucky Christian University jumped out on No. 7 seed Maranatha Baptist Bible College 37-22 by halftime and then held on in the second half to claim its 10th national championship since 1989 with a 75-63 victory in the NCCAA II National Championship game Saturday night.

The Lady Knights played their typical tough man-to-man defense and held the Lady Crusaders to just 23% shooting in the first half.

Their strong defense complemented their offense as KCC shot 55% from the floor and went 9-for-15 from three-point range for the game.

Kentucky's Jennipher Swann scored a team-high 19 points as she went 5-for-5 from three-point land, helping KCU build on their halftime lead in the second half.

Maranatha's Colleen Goff scored 18 second-half points to help get the Lady Crusaders back into the game, but the lead would never get any smaller than 10 points as Kentucky Christian wore down the Lady Crusaders down the stretch.

Maranatha's Amanda Moses led all scorers with 21 points and five assists.

Kentucky Christian (27-8) had three other players score in double-digits. Senior Megan Oliver scored 15 points and added five assists, while Lisa Gessford and Christen Daniels both added 10 points apiece.

Maranatha, entering the 2007 national tournament as the No. 7 seed, finishes the season with a 13-18 overall record. The Lady Crusaders had to win a play-in game against No. 10 seed Southwestern College last Tuesday to even get into the eight-team tournament.

The Lady Crusaders upset the defending national champions, Mid-America Christian University, Thursday night but could not pull off another upset in the championship game versus a very experienced Kentucky Christian squad.

Kentucky Christian has dominated the NCCAA II National Tournament since 1989, appearing in 13 national title games and winning 10 NCCAA II National Championships.

Gessford and Oliver were both named to the all-tournament team, along with Maranatha's Goff and Moses.

2007 NCCAA II NATIONAL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Lisa Gessford Kentucky Christian College
Krystian Thompson Southeastern University
Colleen Goff Maranatha Baptist Bible College
Amanda Moses Maranatha Baptist Bible College
Megan Oliver Kentucky Christian College

2007 NCCAA II NATIONAL TOURNAMENT MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Beth Smith Philadelphia Biblical University

2007 NCCAA II NATIONAL RANKINGS
1. Kentucky Christian University 26-8
2. Maranatha Baptist Bible College 13-18
3. Southeastern University 26-11
4. Philadelphia Biblical University 17-12
5. Mid-America Christian University 22-11
6. Dallas Christian College n/a
7. Baptist Bible College 17-13
8. North Central University 15-15
9. Ozark Christian College 26-13
10. Southwestern College 9-15

Lady Fire Ends Season With Win Over PBU

LAKELAND--Southeastern University ended their season Saturday night with a 55-53 victory over Philadelphia Biblical University in the third-place game of the NCCAA II National Tournament.

SEU led 50-40 with 10:06 remaining in the game, but the Lady Crimson Eagles went on a 13-5 run to end the game. PBU had a good look inside to tie and force overtime, but could not convert before time ran out.

After dropping a tough game to No. 1 seed Kentucky Christian College Friday night, SEU will finish third in the nation, the best finish in school history for its women's basketball program.

SEU also set a new team mark for best win-loss record in a single season, finishing at 26-11 overall, and Head Coach Ed Plastow and the Lady Fire won over 20 games for the fourth consecutive year, which is another school-record for SEU.

Krystian Thompson led SEU with 16 points and five assists, while Cristen Wall added 14 points and 15 rebounds for the game.

PBU's Beth Smith led all scorers with 22 points and five rebounds.

Philadelphia Biblical University will finish fourth in the nation and ends the year with a 17-12 record overall.

Mid-America Defeats Dallas Christian College, 71-46

LAKELAND--No. 2 seed Mid-America Christian University held No. 5 seed Dallas Christian College to just 17% shooting in the first half and went on to win 71-46 on the last day of the NCCAA II National Tournament.

It was Mid-America's fourth victory over Dallas Christian this season.

Sheila Nave, Courtney Sorrels, and Stenia Moore all scored 11 points apiece for Mid-America. Moore added 11 rebounds on the day.

Mid-America had 21 second-chance points in the game and forced the Lady Crusaders into 24 turnovers.

Dallas Christian was led by Meredith Hollis' 13 points, while Quin Reed added 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Lady Crusaders.

Dallas Christian went 1-2 in the national tournament and finishes their season ranked No. 6 in the country.

Mid-America (22-11) went 2-1 in the national tournament and takes fifth place overall.

Baptist Bible Ends Season With Win Over North Central

LAKELAND--No. 3 seed Baptist Bible College defeated No. 8 seed North Central University 80-56 Saturday in the final round of the NCCAA II National Tournament.

Baptist Bible (17-13) was 0-2 in the tournament as the No. 3 seed, but regrouped and handled NCU easily, running up a 37-24 halftime lead.

Baptist Bible scored 27 points off of 27 North Central turnovers to make the difference in the game.

The Lady Defenders were led by Jessica Doane's 21 points and five assists, while Heather Reiner added 14 points and four rebounds. Liz Bole chipped in with 13 points for BBC.

Baptist Bible will finish the season ranked No. 7 in the nation.

Amy Sletten scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for North Central University, which ends its season with a 15-15 overall record. North Central will finish the year No. 8 in the nation.

Southeastern Falls To Kentucky Christian In Semi-Finals
(03-02-07)

LAKELAND--Kentucky Christian's Amber Roberts and Lisa Gessford combined to go 14-for-14 from the free-throw line in the second half of the NCCAA II semifinal game as No. 1 seed Kentucky Christian defeated No. 4 seed Southeastern University 73-64 Friday night to advance to the NCCAA II National Championship game.

Since 1989, the Lady Knights have made it to the NCCAA II National Championship game 13 times and have won nine NCCAA II National Championships.

Kentucky Christian (26-8) went on a 12-5 run to start the second half, building an 11-point lead over the Lady Fire, but SEU would storm back and cut the lead to three points with 5:10 remaining.

Southeastern's Kristen Ledlow hit three three-point field goals in the second half to help get SEU back in the game.

South Region Player of the Year Krystian Thompson scored 13 second-half points and finished with 20 points for the game.

But, in the end, Kentucky Christian just had too much offense, shooting 50% from the floor in the second half and icing the game at the free-throw line down the stretch. The Lady Knights went 22-of-25 from the free-throw line in the second half to end the Lady Fire's dream of winning their first national championship.

Gessford went 8-for-8 from the line and finished with 19 points and six rebounds, while Roberts went 6-for-6 from the line and finished with 16 points and six rebounds.

Ledlow finished with 12 points and seven rebounds, while Cristen Wall scored 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

Kentucky Christian will face No. 7 seed Maranatha Baptist Bible College Saturday at 8:00 p.m. for the NCCAA II National Championship.

Southeastern (24-11) will face No. 6 seed Philadelphia Biblical University on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. With a win, SEU would finish third in the nation, which would be the best finish in school history for its women's basketball program.

Maranatha Baptist Advances To NCCAA II National Championship Game

LAKELAND--In a defense-minded game, No. 7 seed Maranatha Baptist Bible College sneaked past No. 6 seed Philadelphia Biblical University 58-54 Friday night to advance to the NCCAA II National Championship game.

MBBC (13-17) led 23-14 at halftime after holding PBU to just 21% shooting in the first half.

Both teams heated up after halftime, but MBBC's double-digit lead late in the second half was too much for the Lady Eagles. PBU clawed back into the game late but ran out of time in the end.

PBU's Beth Smith led all scorers with 22 points and eight rebounds.

For Maranatha Baptist, Colleen Goff scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds, while Nicole Hawkins added 13 points. MBBC has made its way to the national championship game after having to play a play-in-game Tuesday night versus No. 10 seed Southwestern College.

The Lady Crusaders will wait to see who wins between No. 1 seed Kentucky Christian College and No. 4 seed Southeastern University. They will face the winner of that game in the NCCAA II National Championship game Saturday at 8:00 p.m.

Philadelphia Biblical University (17-11) will play the loser of that game Saturday at 6:00 p.m. for third place overall in the national tournament.

Dallas Christian Cruises Past North Central University

LAKELAND--Dallas Christian's Danielle Aguilar scored a game-high 23 points to lead the Lady Crusaders past North Central University, 83-59, in the third round of the NCCAA II National Tournament Friday afternoon.

Coming off a tough loss to Southeastern University Thursday night, the Lady Crusaders jumped out early on NCU and led 38-24 at halftime.

Lindsey Bradford added 11 points and four assists, while Astacia Jones chipped in with 10 points and five rebounds.

The Lady Crusaders shot 45% from the field and connected on 10 three-point field goals in the game.

North Central's Keelie Solomon led the Lady Rams with 19 points.

North Central will play No. 3 seed Baptist Bible College Saturday at 2:00 p.m for seventh place overall in the tournament.

Dallas Christian College will face Mid-America Christian University for the fourth time this season Saturday at 4:00 p.m., the two teams fighting for fifth place overall in the tournament. Mid-America went 3-0 versus Dallas Christian College during the regular season.

No.2 Mid-America Rebounds With Win Over Baptist Bible

LAKELAND--After being upset in the second round by Maranatha Baptist Bible College, No. 2 seed Mid-America Christian University rebounded Friday afternoon to defeat No. 3 seed Baptist Bible College 76-68.

After trailing 35-32 at halftime, the Lady Evangels came out strong and outscored the Lady Defenders 44-33 in the second half.

Mid-America was led by Laressa McDonald's 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Sheila Nave added 15 points and seven rebounds. Treasure McCoy chipped in with 14 points and six rebounds.

Baptist Bible was led by Jessica Doane's 18 points and four assists. Holly Walton scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the Lady Defenders fall to 0-2 for the tournament.

Baptist Bible College will play the loser of the North Central University and Dallas Christian College matchup Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

Mid-America will play the winner of that NCU and DCC game on Saturday at 4:00 p.m., competing for fifth place overall in the national tournament.

Lady Fire Advances to NCCAA II Final Four
(03-01-07)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University women's basketball team earned their first NCCAA II Final Four appearance in school history Thursday night by defeating No. 5 seed Dallas Christian College 84-56 in the second round of the NCCAA II National Tournament.

The Lady Fire went on a 19-7 run at the end of the first half and opened up the second half with an 11-0 run to put the game out of reach.

Dallas Christian College defeated SEU back in November at the SAGU Pepsi Classic in Waxahachie, Texas.

SEU's revenge Thursday night means they will match up with No. 1 seed Kentucky Christian College Friday night at 8:00 p.m. The Lady Fire defeated KCC back in November, a 69-65 victory for SEU at home. That game marked KCC's first loss in the regular season to a NCCAA II program since 1992.

Cristen Wall led the Lady Fire with a monster game inside. Wall finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. Kristen Ledlow had 10 points and 15 rebounds off the bench, and Currie Powers led all Lady Fire scorers with 18 points. Powers also added eight rebounds.

South Region Player of the Year Kristen Thompson scored 13 points and added four assists before leaving halfway through the second half with cramps. Thompson should be ready to play Friday night.

"We haven't played zone defense all year, and we thought it would be to our advantage if we could play an aggressive zone and get out on their shooters, " said Head Coach Ed Plastow. "And the kids played really good defense, cause that was a good team we beat and we controlled the boards."

Southeastern out-rebounded DCC 59-45 as Powers and Wall combined for 33 points and 20 rebounds inside. SEU also held DCC to just 20% shooting in the first half and 25% shooting for the game.

Dallas Christian College will play No. 8 seed North Central University on Friday at 4:00 p.m.

No. 1 Kentucky Christian Cruises into Final Four

LAKELAND--No. 1 Kentucky Christian College held No. 9 seed North Central University to just 27% shooting for the night and moved into the Final Four of the NCCAA II National Tournament with a 67-40 victory over the Lady Rams.

Lisa Gessford led the Lady Knights with 14 points and 10 rebounds while Jennipher Swann added 14 points as well for KCC.

Kentucky Christian took a 36-20 halftime lead into the locker room and used their normal pressure man-to-man defense to hold NCU to just 27% shooting for the game. The Lady Knights shot 43% from the floor in the first half.

Keelie Solomon led NCU with 17 points while Naomi Sanon added eight points and 12 rebounds.

KCC will face the winner of No. 4 seed Southeastern University and No. 5 seed Dallas Christian College Friday night at 8:00 p.m.

North Central University will face the loser of the same game at 4:00 p.m.

Maranatha Baptist Defeats No.2 Mid-America Christian in OT

LAKELAND--No. 7 Maranatha Baptist Bible College outscored No. 2 seed Mid-America Christian University 11-0 in overtime Thursday night, defeating the defending national champions 78-67 in the second round of the NCCAA II Women's Basketball National Tournament.

Maranatha Baptist jumped out to a 38-29 halftime lead, but Mid-America's Laressa McDonald scored 16 second- half points to get the Lady Evangels back into the game.

Mid-America actually grabbed a five-point lead with under a minute left, but the Lady Crusaders stormed back to force overtime at 67-67.

Maranatha Baptist (12-17) was led by Colleen Goff, who scored 20 points, while Amber Lang added 15 points. The Lady Crusaders shot 45% from the field for the game.

Laressa McDonald led Mid-America with 18 points.

Mid-America (20-11) will play No. 3 seed Baptist Bible College on Friday at 2:00 p.m. Maranatha Baptist advances to the NCCAA II Final Four and will play No. 6 seed Philadelphia Biblical University Friday at 6:00 p.m.

Philadelphia Biblical Upsets Baptist Bible College, 61-56

LAKELAND--Danielle Norton scored a game-high 26 points to lead No. 6 seed Philadelphia Biblical University past No. 3 seed Baptist Bible College in the second round of the 2007 NCCAA II National Tournament Thursday afternoon.

PBU led 38-24 at halftime, but Baptist Bible came storming back and actually tied the game late in the second half. It was PBU, though, that came up with big shots down the stretch.

This was the third time this season that PBU and BBC had played one another since both teams compete in the East Region of the NCCAA II. The season series was split at 1-1 before Thursday's game.

Beth Smith finished the game with 16 points, 16 rebounds, and six assists for PBU.

Naomi Sweeney and Heather Reiner both scored 14 points apiece for Baptist Bible College.

Philadelphia Biblical University improves to 17-10 on the year and will play the winner of the game between No. 2 seed Mid-America Christian University and No. 7 seed Maranatha Baptist Bible College on Friday at 6:00 p.m.

Baptist Bible College (16-12) will play the loser of the game between Mid-America Christian and Maranatha Baptist at 2:00 p.m. on Friday.

2007 All-Americans

LAKELAND--The 2007 NCCAA II Women's Basketball All-American team and National Scholars were announced on Thursday. Megan Oliver of Kentucky Christian College was named the 2007 NCCAA II National Player of the Year, while Philadelphia Biblical's Drew Watson was named the NCCAA II National Coach of the Year.

NCCAA II Women's Basketball National Scholars
Cathi Armstrong Johnson Bible College
Emily Brittain Johnson Bible College
Natasha Brown Lincoln Christian College
Elizabeth Campbell Providence College
Jodi DeVree Grace Bible College
Amy Embry Toccoa Falls College
Lindsay Foote Pillsbury Baptist Bible College
Lisa Gesseford Kentucky Christian College
Katlyn Gray Johnson Bible College
Bethany Williams Clearwater Christian College
Emma Hanford Lincoln Christian College
Emily Harder Moody Bible Institute
Nicole Holloman Lancaster Bible College
Bethany Juhl Manhattan Christian College
Sarah Kibbe Toccoa Falls College
Heather Kitts Southeastern University
Amber Lang Maranatha Baptist Bible College
Bobbie Larson Lincoln Christian College
Shayla Moll Southwestern College
Suzanne Muenzel Atlanta Christian College
Sheena Murphy Kentucky Christian University
Megan Oliver Kentucky Christian University
Patti Parker Providence College
Cindy Posey Northland Baptist Bible College
Currie Powers Southeastern University
Nichole Proctor Washington Bible College
Deborah Schneider Baptist Bible College, PA
Lindsay Sekoch Manhattan Christian College
Leah Seuffer Moody Bible College
Breann Stephens Ozark Christian College
Heather Reiner Baptist Bible College, PA
Holly Walton Baptist Bible College, PA
Nola Wentzel Northland Baptist Bible College

NCCAA II Women's Basketball All-American 1st Team
Jessica Doane Baptist Bible College, PA
Rachael Fischer Trinity Bible College
Lisa Gesseford Kentucky Christian College
Abby Meads Baptist Bible College
Sonya Myers Grace Bible College
Megan Oliver Kentucky Christian University
Quin Reed Dallas Christian College
Beth Smith Philadelphia Biblical University
Courtney Sorrels Mid-America Christian University
Krystian Thompson Southeastern University

NCCAA II Women's Basketball All-American 2nd Team
Heather Booy Providence College
Christen Daniles Kentucky Christian University
Colleen Goff Maranatha Baptist Bible College
Nikki Hall Atlanta Christian College
Charity Kidder Southeastern University
Laressa McDonald Mid-America Christian University
Leah Seuffer Moody Bible Institute
Amy Sletten North Central University
Holly Walton Baptist Bible College
Lindsay Wolf Free Will Baptist Bible College

NCCAA II Women's Basketball Honorable Mention All-American
Melissa Jones Cincinnati Christian University
Della Kimble Hillsdale Free Will Baptist
Amber Lang Maranatha Baptist Bible College
Adelaide Simms Southwestern Christian University
Stevie Williams Pillsbury Baptist Bible College

NCCAA II Women's Basketball National Player of the Year
Megan Oliver Kentucky Christian University

NCCAA II Women's Basketball National Coach of the Year
Drew Watson Philadelphia Biblical University

Ozark Christian Comes From Behind, Defeats Southwestern 60-56

LAKELAND--After trailing 35-26 at halftime, Ozark Christian College stormed back in the second half to defeat Southwestern College 60-56 in the NCCAA II Women's Basketball National Tournament Thursday afternoon.

Kala Bust scored 10 second-half points for Ozark Christian, finishing with 14 points for the game. Megan Gariss added 14 points, while Chrissy Lahm and Breann Stephens both added 10 points apiece for OCU. Bust and Gariss both grabbed 10 rebounds for the game.

Caitlin Forrest led Southwestern College with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Ozark Christian shot a poor 25% in the first half, but improved to 39%, while holding Southwestern College to just 21%, in the second half.

Both teams lost their opening games on Tuesday night, and today's contest was for ninth place in the tournament. Both teams are now eliminated from further NCCAA II National Tournament play.

Ozark Christian College finishes their season with a 25-12 record while Southwestern College finishes their season at 9-16.

Maranatha Baptist Handles Southwestern College, 69-41
(02-27-07)

LAKELAND--No. 7 seed Maranatha Baptist Bible College easily defeated No. 10 seed Southwestern College 69-41 Tuesday night in the first round of the NCCAA II Women's Basketball National Tournament.

MBBC will advance, playing No. 2 seed Mid-America Christian University Thursday at 4:00 p.m.

MBBC out-rebounded Southwestern College 56-31 and held SC to just 27% shooting for the game. Southwestern College also went 1-for-18 from three-point land and trailed 44-25 at halftime.

Natalie Hawkins led MBBC with 20 points and five assists, while Nicole Hawkins added 13 points and five assists.

Joanna Underwood led Southwestern College with 12 points, and Shayla Moll added 10 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks.

Southwestern College will play Ozark Christian College on Thursday at noon.

North Central University Holds Off Ozark Christian, 53-50

LAKELAND--North Central University jumped out to a 29-14 halftime lead and held off a late charge by No. 9 seed Ozark Christian College to advance to the second round of the NCCAA II National Tournament with a 53-50 victory.

No. 8 seed North Central University will face No. 1 seed Kentucky Christian College Thursday at 6:00 p.m.

Naomi Sanon led North Central University with 10 points and 19 rebounds, while Amy Sletten added 13 points and 10 rebounds. Four NCU players scored in double digits.

Ozark Christian outscored North Central 36-24 in the second half and had some good looks from beyond the arc to try to tie the game late, but was unsuccessful.

Ozark got back in the game in the second half with the help of Chrissy Lahm's 14 second-half points. Lahm hit four three-point field goals and finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Breann Stephens also added 12 rebounds.

Ozark Christian will play the loser of the game between No. 7 Marantha Baptist Bible and No. 10 seed Southwestern College Thursday at noon.

Lady Fire Earns No. 4 Seed, Prepares For Rematch With Dallas Christian College

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University women's basketball team has not played a game since February 17, but in that game, SEU took the 2007 South Region Championship with a 73-55 victory over Clearwater Christian College. Finally, the Lady Fire knows which team it will play next.

The Lady Fire was rewarded with the No. 4 seed in the upcoming NCCAA II women's basketball national tournament, February 27-March 3, hosted by Southeastern University.

2007 marks the third straight year Southeastern has hosted the national tournament.

The Lady Fire will play its first game of the tournament against No. 5 seed Dallas Christian College. These two teams have met once already this season, back on November 18 in the SAGU Pepsi Classic. The Lady Fire fell to DCC, 92-80, in Waxahachie, Texas.

SEU, however, is a much different team at home, going 13-3 at home this season, including a 69-65 victory over Kentucky Christian University back on November 2. In that game, SEU handed KCU its first regular-season loss to an NCCAA II opponent since 1992.

Kentucky Christian is the No. 1 seed in this year's tournament, and with a Lady Fire victory on Thursday against DCC, SEU could see a possible rematch with the Lady Knights. KCU will face the winner of No. 8 seed North Central University and No. 9 seed Ozark Christian College, Thursday night, at 6:00 p.m.

One of the keys for Southeastern heading into this year's tournament will be the play of sophomore point guard Krystian Thompson. Thompson was named the 2007 South Region Player of the Year and averaged 18.5 points and 5.5 assists in the South Region tournament.

Southeastern's game versus Dallas Christian College is scheduled for Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. SEU is looking to draw the largest crowd in school history, and the Lady Fire is requesting all SEU fans to wear red to show their support for the Lady Fire.

SEU Wins 2007 South Region Tournament
(02-17-07)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University women's basketball team jumped out on Clearwater Christian early and never looked back as the Lady Fire defeated CCC, 73-55, Saturday to win the 2007 South Region Tournament.

Krystian Thompson scored 17 points and added four assists to lead the Lady Fire while Cristen Wall had a monster game, scoring 14 points and grabbing 17 rebounds.

Currie Powers added 15 points and 11 rebounds.

It was SEU's eighth straight victory over Clearwater Christian and its fourth victory over the Lady Cougars this season.

The game was never in doubt as SEU jumped out to an early 10-0 lead and led at halftime, 41-23.

Head Coach Ed Plastow was named the 2007 South Region Coach of the Year as he won his third South Region title in four years.

Thompson was named the 2007 South Region Player of the Year as she averaged 18 points and 5.5 assists in the tournament.

Southeastern's Charity Kidder was named First Team All-Region, while Powers earned Second Team All-Region honors. Wall was a South Region Honorable Mention.

Up next for SEU is the 2007 NCCAA II National Tournament, which the Lady Fire will host for the third straight year.

The tournament will start on February 28th; the teams participating in the tournament and the seedings are still undetermined.

Lady Fire Advances To South Region Championship Game
(02-16-07)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University women's basketball team advanced to the South Region Championship Game for the sixth straight season with a 82-58 victory over Toccoa Falls College in the semi-finals of the 2007 South Region Tournament.

SEU outscored Toccoa Falls, 50-30, in the second half, holding the Lady Eagles to just 23% shooting from the floor.

Krystian Thompson led the Lady Fire with 19 points and seven assists while five Lady Fire players scored in double-digits.

Heather Kitts and Kristen Ledlow both chipped in with 12 points apiece while Charity Kidder and Currie Powers both added 11 points.

Cristen Wall added six points and 14 rebounds for SEU, which will play Clearwater Christian in the South Region Championship Game on Saturday.

Clearwater Christian defeated Atlanta Christian College on Friday, 78-69.

Southeastern improved to 22-10 on the year and is looking to win its third South Region title in four years.

The Lady Fire went 3-0 versus Clearwater in the regular season and has won seven straight games in the series.

Gametime is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

Lady Fire Secures No.1 Seed in Upcoming South Region Tournament
(02-13-07)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University women's basketball team had another successful regular season and will now push its focus to the post-season as the team gets ready to host the 2007 South Region tournament this weekend.

The Lady Fire went 22-10 on the year and 7-1 in the South Region; region rival Atlanta Christian College beat SEU on the road January 25.

SEU has the benefit of hosting this year's South Region tournament, and the Lady Fire has won two of the past three South Region tournaments.

Statistically, the Lady Fire had a remarkable season with five players averaging double digits in scoring.

Charity Kidder led SEU in scoring, averaging 14.6 points per game. Krystian Thompson led the team in steals (4.5) and assists (7.7) while averaging 13.9 points per game.

Currie Powers and Cristen Wall both averaged double-doubles on the season. Powers had a monster year despite breaking her thumb midway through the season. She averaged 11.5 points and 12.4 rebounds per game on the year. Wall averaged 11.7 points and 12.3 rebounds per game in her first full season playing basketball for SEU.

Kristen Ledlow, who transferred to SEU from Florida State University in January, averaged 13.1 points per game. However, she managed to lead the team in three-pointers; she made (37) on the year despite playing in just 13 games.

The Lady Fire also had great productivity off the bench with Rebekah Cohen, averaging 7.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.

SEU will play the winner of Toccoa Falls College and Piedmont Baptist College, Friday at 7:00 p.m.

The South Region championship game will be played at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Powers Named National Player of the Week
(02-06-07)

LAKELAND--Currie Powers, sophomore center for the Lady Fire basketball team was named the NCCAA II National Player of the Week, Tuesday.

Powers has become one of the top players in the nation, leading the national rankings in rebounding and ranking second overall in field goal percentage.

Powers led Southeastern to victory over Clearwater Christian College this past weekend. She scored 20 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and added three blocked shots.

She is averaging 12.4 points and 11.5 rebounds a game for the Lady Fire.

Southeastern next plays at NCAA II Flagler College on Tuesday night.

Ledlow Has Record Day In Lady Fire Victory
(02-05-07)

JACKSONVILLE--Kristen Ledlow set a new school record by connecting on seven three-point field goals in one game as Southeastern University cruised to a 87-23 victory over Trinity Baptist College, Saturday.

Ledlow finished the game with 33 points while Rebekah Cohen added a season-high 29 points for the Lady Fire. Amanda Hudson scored 17 points and grabbed 17 rebounds.

Southeastern improves to 20-9 on the season, marking the fourth straight year that Head Coach Ed Plastow has led SEU to a 20-win season.

The Lady Fire also defeated Clearwater Christian College, Friday night for homecoming, 67-50.

SEU went on a run late in the first half to take a 33-24 halftime lead. Clearwater made a comeback, but the Lady Cougars couldn't overcome the depth of the Lady Fire bench.

Currie Powers led SEU with 21 points and 15 rebounds. Cristen Wall added eight points, 11 rebounds, and five steals.

Charity Kidder added 11 points while Krystian Thompson chipped in with 10 points.

The Lady Fire will travel to St. Augustine, Florida, on Friday to take on NCAA II Flagler College.

Lady Fire Rallies, Defeats Toccoa Falls, 74-59
(01-22-07)

LAKELAND--After trailing by two points at the end of the first half, the Southeastern University women's basketball team outscored Toccoa Falls College, 44-27, in the second half and cruised to a 74-59 victory on Saturday.

The Lady Fire warmed up in the second half, shooting 50%--improving on a poor 28% shooting in the first half.

Kristen Ledlow scored 19 points to lead the Lady Fire while Cristen Wall contributed 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Krystian Thompson added 17 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four steals, and Charity Kidder finished with 12 points for the Lady Fire.

SEU improves to 16-7 overall and 3-0 in the South Region and will play its next four games away from home.

SEU's four-game road trip will start in Atlanta, Georgia, next Thursday versus Atlanta Christian College.

Lady Fire Rolls Past CBC, 78-48
(01-13-07)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University women's basketball team jumped out early on Central Bible College, Saturday afternoon, and never looked back as SEU cruised to a 78-48 victory in the last day of the 2007 Assemblies of God tournament.

SEU led 42-20 at halftime behind Krystian Thompson's 22 first half points. Thompson finished with 24 points, four rebounds, and four steals.

Thompson was SEU's only representative on this year's all-tournament team.

Southeastern (14-7) forced 31 turnovers and held CBC to just 31% shooting for the game.

Charity Kidder added 12 points while Rebekah Cohen added eight points and nine rebounds.

Southeastern went 2-1 in the AG tournament, falling to this year's champion, North Central University, which snapped SEU's three-year run of winning the AG tournament.

SEU will host Atlanta Christian College next Friday at 5:00 p.m.

Lady Fire Falls Late To North Central, 66-64
(01-12-07)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern women's basketball team fell to North Central University, 66-64, Friday night in the second day of the annual Assemblies of God tournament hosted by Southeastern University.

Despite SEU's 107-45 victory over Valley Forge Christian College on Thursday night, NCU was able to hold the Lady Fire to just 32% shooting in the game and outscored SEU 42-34 in the second half, grabbing the victory.

NCU was led by Amy Sletten's 18 points and 13 rebounds as NCU improved to 2-0 in the round robin tournament. NCU can win the tournament outright with a victory over Valley Forge Christian College on Saturday.

The Lady Fire was led by Currie Powers and her 10 points and 10 rebounds. Charity Kidder added 15 points while Kristen Ledlow hit four three-point field goals and finished the night with 13 points.

Southeastern (13-7) will play Central Bible College on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. and will have to hope Valley Forge defeats North Central to earn a share of the AG tournament championship.

Lady Fire Rolls Over Valley Forge, 107-45
(01-11-07)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University women's basketball team defeated Valley Forge Christian College, 107-45, Thursday night in the 2007 Assemblies of God basketball tournament.

Kristen Thompson scored 24 points, added 15 assists, and made 14 steals, becoming the first Lady Fire player ever to record a triple-double in school history.

SEU also broke the century mark for the third time in a season, which is now a new school record.

Charity Kidder added 22 points, and Kristen Ledlow contributed 21 points as SEU won its 10th straight game in the AG tournament dating back to 2003.

Rebekah Cohen added 12 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.

Southeastern (13-6) has won the AG tournament the past three years.

SEU had a 54-17 lead at halftime, shot 50% from the floor for the game, and forced 43 turnovers.

Southeastern will play North Central University on Friday at 6:00 p.m. North Central University defeated Central Bible College on Thursday, 62-54.

Lady Fire Falls To NAIA Johnson & Wales, 73-67
(01-10-07)

LAKELAND--In its first game back from Christmas break, the Southeastern University women's basketball team blew an early lead to NAIA Johnson & Wales, Tuesday night, and fell 73-67 to the Lady Wild Cats.

SEU defeated Johnson & Wales, 84-63, December 1, but could not repeat the same feat; the Lady Fire looked sluggish at times and committed 30 turnovers on the night.

Still, Southeastern had its chances and actually led late in the second half. But more Lady Fire turnovers and some clutch free-throw shooting by Johnson & Wales sealed SEU's fate.

Southeastern was led by Cristen Wall's 19 points and four rebounds. Kristen Thompson added 14 points, six rebounds, and five assists while Curry Powers scored nine points and grabbed 14 rebounds.

Southeastern (12-6) will host the annual Assemblies of God Tournament this weekend. SEU will open up with Valley Forge Christian College on Thursday, then take on North Central University on Friday. The Lady Fire will finish with Central Bible College on Saturday.

SEU Pounds Warren Wilson, Wins Third Straight
(12-11-06)

ASHEVILLE, NC--The Southeastern women's basketball team completed its northern trip by thrashing a rebuilding Warren Wilson program, 102-22, Saturday.

Similar to their play during the two earlier nights, all Southeastern players saw significant minutes and overwhelmed their opponent.

The Lady Fire broke the largest margin of victory record, which was set Thursday night by SEU in its win over Appalachian Bible College. SEU defeated Warren Wilson by 90 points, which is now the new school record.

Southeastern scorers included Charity Kidder with 22 points, Sarah Woesch with 17 points, and Currie Powers with 14 points. Cristen Wall and Rebekah Cohen both added 12 points apiece while Krystian Thompson contributed 11 points.

Powers and Wall each grabbed 15 rebounds, and Thompson had another double-digit night in assists with 11 while also adding eight steals.

Southeastern (12-5) held Warren Wilson to just three field goals for the entire game and will now go on

Lady Fire Handles Johnson Bible, 96-60

KNOXVILLE, TN--Southeastern followed its record-breaking win on Thursday night with another solid victory over Johnson Bible, 96-60, Friday night.

The Lady Fire arrived back in Knoxville on Friday afternoon late, after being snowed in, in West Virginia the night before.

The team showed no rustiness as it jumped to a 45-24 halftime lead and never looked back.

Charity Kidder set a new single game scoring record with her 36 points as she shot 78% from the field and 88% from the free-throw line.

The earlier record was set by Trisha Moody with 35 points at Flagler College in 2004.

Krystian Thompson had another incredible assist and steal game, dishing out 16 assists and making eight steals.

Currie Powers scored 16 points and grabbed 13 rebounds while Cristen Wall scored 15 points and had 14 rebounds.

Southeastern (11-5) will finish its road trip with a game in Asheville, North Carolina, against Warren Wilson College on Saturday.

Lady Fire sets record in 116-33 Victory over Appalachian Bible College

BRADLEY, WV--Southeastern traveled on a snowy night to Bradley, West Virginia, and shot a torrid 65% from the field to run to a 116-33 victory over Appalachian Bible College, Thursday night.

The Lady Fire set a new school record for most points scored in a single game. SEU also set a school record for the largest margin of victory with its 83-point win on Thursday night.

Charity Kidder led the scoring with 25 points. Rebekah Cohen added 23 points, and Krystian Thompson tallied 20 points.

Amanda Hudson and Currie Powers added 18 and 12 points, respectively.

Thompson had a rare triple-double and set additional single-game records for assists and steals as she dished out 18 assists and 10 steals.

SEU also set a school record with 52 field goals in the game.

Cristen Wall had 17 rebounds and five blocked shots while Currie Powers had 15 rebounds and four blocked shots.

Webber Cools Off Fire With 80-64 Victory
(12-04-06)

BABSON PARK--Webber International sophomore Ashley Gabbert scored 31 points while grabbing 10 rebounds to give the Southeastern University women's basketball team its first loss to an NAIA opponent this season; Webber International cooled off SEU, 80-64, Saturday afternoon.

Currie Powers led the Lady Fire with 18 points as SEU trailed 40-29 at halftime and never could take control of the game.

Cristen Wall added 17 points and nine rebounds for SEU while Rebekah Cohen was the only other Lady Fire player to score in double digits; Cohen added 11 points and six rebounds off the bench.

Southeastern is now 9-5 on the year and will travel for a three-game road trip to West Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.

Southeastern will play Appalachian Bible College on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m.

SEU-Webber Box Score

Lady Fire Rolls Past Johnson & Wales, 84-63

LAKELAND--Charity Kidder scored 19 points to lead Southeastern University past NAIA Johnson & Wales, Friday night, 84-63, for the Lady Fire's second straight victory over an NAIA opponent.

Krystian Thompson and Currie Powers both added 15 points apiece while Cristen Wall added 14 points on the night as well.

Southeastern is now 9-4 on the year and will travel to Babson Park, Florida, on Saturday to face another NAIA opponent in Webber International University.

Southeastern Holds Off Warner Southern, 66-61
(12-01-06)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University women's basketball team defeated Warner Southern College, Thursday night, 66-61 behind Charity Kidder's 18 points giving, SEU its third straight victory in the series.

Cristen Wall added 13 points and 13 rebounds while Currie Powers contributed 10 points and 15 rebounds on the night.

Sophomore Krystian Thompson added 16 points for the Lady Fire.

Southeastern (8-4) led 32-31 at halftime and used solid free-throw shooting down the stretch to seal the Lady Royals' fate. Southeastern shot 24-for-29 from the line with Kidder leading the way, going 10-for-10 on the night.

Southeastern will host Johnson & Wales University tonight at 7:00 p.m.

SEU Finishes Up Long Road Trip
(11-27-06)

BETHANY, OK--The Southeastern Lady Fire basketball team managed to go 1-3 on its four-game road trip to Oklahoma and Texas, giving Southeastern a 7-4 record heading into the Thanksgiving break weekend.

Southeastern defeated Hillsdale Free Will Baptist, Monday night, 73-68 behind Cristen Wall's 19 points and 10 rebounds.

Currie Powers added 16 points and 10 boards while Krystian Thompson scored 15 points and dished out six assists. This was Southeastern's second-ever game against Hillsdale Free Will Baptist; the first dates back to the 2004 national tournament.

The following night SEU fell to Southwestern Christian University, 60-54.

Southeastern led almost the entire game until a host of mistakes combined with a late three-point shooting spree by Southwestern Christian caused SEU to drop its third game in four nights.

Powers led the effort with 15 points and 19 rebounds; Charity Kidder scored 11 points, and Thompson tallied 10 points and grabbed a career-high 15 boards. Wall also gathered 10 rebounds, and Southeastern outrebounded Southwestern Christian by a 62-43 margin.

Nevertheless, a 29% shooting night proved just bad enough to drop the final game of the road trip.

Southeastern will host NAIA Warner Southern College on Thursday night at 5:00 p.m.

Lady Fire Drops Two Games In SAGU Pepsi Classic

WAXAHACHIE, TX--The Southeastern University women's basketball team started off its four-game road trip by losing two games in the SAGU Pepsi Classic tournament hosted by Southwestern Assemblies of God University.

SEU fell to Southwestern AG, 69-58, Friday night.

The Lady Fire came out sluggish but fought hard throughout trying to get back into the game.

Krystian Thompson and Cristen Wall led the Lady Fire with 20 and 16 points, respectively. Charity Kidder pitched in with 11 points; Thompson also added five assists.

Southwestern AG shot 57% from the floor for the game.

On Saturday night, SEU fell to Dallas Christian College, 92-80, after leading at the half, 43-42.

With the game tied at 77-77 and five minutes to play, the Lady Fire sputtered as Dallas Christian outscored SEU 15-3 for the rest of the game.

SEU was led by Kidder's 31 points while Powers and Thompson added 16 and 12 points, respectively. Wall grabbed 15 rebounds in the game, which was Southeastern's first loss of the season against a NCCAA Division II opponent.

Southeastern is now 6-3 on the season and will play Hillsdale Free Will Baptist, in Moore, Oklahoma on Monday.

Powers Leads SEU Past Piedmont Baptist
(11-17-06)

LAKELAND--Sophomore center Currie Powers dominated Thursday night's South Region game between Southeastern University and Piedmont Baptist College. Powers led SEU past Piedmont, 71-26.

Powers scored a season-high 19 points and grabbed a season-high 19 rebounds as Southeastern defeated Piedmont Baptist, improving to 6-1 on the season and 2-0 in the South Region.

Rebekah Cohen was the only other Lady Fire player to score in double figures, finishing the night with 11 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals.

Krystian Thompson added nine points, four rebounds, and six assists.

Nine Lady Fire players scored on the night as SEU held Piedmont Baptist to just 11 points in the first half.

Southeastern will play in the SAGU Pepsi Classic in Waxahachie, Texas, hosted by Southwestern Assemblies of God University this weekend.

The Lady Fire will play Southwestern on Friday at 6:00 p.m. and then face Dallas Christian College on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

Lady Fire Wins CCU Invitational
(11-13-06)

CINCINNATI, OH--The Southeastern women's basketball team defeated Cincinnati Christian, 95-60, Saturday to capture the Cincinnati Christian University invitational.

The Lady Fire started off the tournament by defeating Free Will Baptist Bible College, 73-52, Thursday night and then held off Northland Baptist Bible College, 52-51, Friday night.

Charity Kidder led the Lady Fire with 22 points while Cristen Wall added 20 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Cincinnati Christian.

Guard Krystian Thompson ran the show and finished with 12 points and eight assists. Currie Powers and Rebekah Cohen chipped in with 14 and 13 points, respectively.

Kidder, Wall, and Thompson made the tournament's all-tournament team.

Kidder hit two free throws with 30 seconds remaining to give SEU the victory Friday night over Northland Baptist. The Lady Fire had trailed for the majority of the game.

Kidder led the Fire with 16 points and eight rebounds. Thompson added 15 points and 10 rebounds while Powers chipped in with eight points and eight boards. Heather Kitts had six rebounds for SEU.

Southeastern (5-1) will host Piedmont Baptist College, Thursday night at 7:00 p.m.

Lady Fire Earns Share of Invitational Tournament
(11-07-06)

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University women's basketball team earned a share of the Southeastern Invitational Tournament championship by defeating Clearwater Christian College, 81-64, Saturday afternoon.

The first half was close with Southeastern claiming a 36-32 halftime lead. In the second half, the Lady Fire extended its lead to 18 points and never looked back. Ten players saw significant playing time for Southeastern.

Eight of those 10 players got in the scoring column. Charity Kidder led the way with 20 points. Cristen Wall and Krystian Thompson both added 17 points apiece.

Currie Powers also added 13 points and 12 rebounds. Kidder was named to the All-Tournament Team and Thompson was named the All-Tournament MVP.

Southeastern is now 2-1 on the season and will travel to Tennessee and Ohio this weekend to play three games.

SEU's next home game is November 16 against Piedmont Baptist College at 7:00 p.m.

Lady Fire Falls To Tennessee Temple

LAKELAND--Coming off an incredible high on Thursday night, the Lady Fire came out flat against NCCAA I Tennessee Temple and suffered a dissappointing 80-34 loss Friday night in the second round of the Fourth Annual Southeastern Invitational.

The Lady Fire fell behind 20-0 as it went for over 11 minutes without scoring. After climbing back into the game with a nine-point run, Southeastern trailed at halftime, 32-17.

Early in the second half, Tennessee Temple put it away with an incredible three-point shooting exhibition. At one point, five different Tennessee Temple players hit five three-point field goals in a row while holding Southeastern scoreless again for seven minutes.

Cristen Wall and Krystian Thompson led the scoring for SEU with 11 and nine points, respectively.

SEU Tops Kentucky Christian, 69-65

LAKELAND--The Southeastern University women's basketball team opened its season against nine-time national champion Kentucky Christian and defeated the Lady Knights, 69-65, Thursday night in the Fourth Annual Southeastern Invitational.

After trailing by 13 points with 12 minutes to go, Southeastern rallied to take a two-point lead at 62-60 with three minutes remaining. Currie Powers then hit a baseline jump shot from Krystian Thompson.

With 15 seconds remaining and the Lady Fire up 68-65, Heather Kitts came up with a steal and hit a free throw that iced the historic win.

Thompson led all scorers with 20 points. Charity Kidder tallied 13 points, and three other scorers, Cristen Wall, Powers, and Candace Washington, each pitched in with eight points.

Powers led the rebounding effort, grabbing 13 boards, and Kitts added seven points and six rebounds.

This was Kentucky Christian's first regular season loss to an NCCAA Division II opponent since 1992 and Southeastern's first ever victory over the team that has won eight of the last 12 NCCAA II National Championships.

Upon the final buzzer, Southeastern students rushed the court in a jubilant celebration. Kentucky Christian Head Coach Ron Arnett was highly graceful and commended the Southeastern players on joining a very exclusive group of women's teams.

NATIONALS: Mid-America Wins 2006 NCCAA II National Championship
(03-04-06)

LAKELAND--Mid-America's Whitney McDonald scored a game-high 24 points and added 18 rebounds to lead No. 2 seed Mid-America past three-time defending national champions Kentucky Christian, 74-64, Saturday night.

It was a rematch from the 2005 national championship game where Kentucky Christian won its third straight national championship, 56-48, a year ago.

This year Mid-America would not be denied. The team steamrolled through its first two games, defeating No. 7 Baptist Bible, 67-52, and then pounded No. 3 seed Manhattan Christian, 73-50, Friday night.

The Lady Evangels took a 74-64 halftime lead into the locker room and built an 11-point lead in the second half before Kentucky Christian stormed back and tied the game with just under 10 minutes remaining.

But McDonald continued to control the inside, and Mid-America's pressure, man-to-man defense held Kentucky Christian to just 4-of-17 shooting from three-point land.

Four other Lady Evangel players scored in double figures with Courtney Sorrels and Treasure McCoy both scoring 13 points. Laressa McDonald added 11 points and five assists on the night.

Hampered by injuries, Kentucky Christian continued to battle to the final buzzer. Leah Campbell scored 17 points and dished out four assists while Amber Roberts and Lisa Gessford both added 12 points.

Mid-America played better offensively, shooting 58 percent from the field for the game and holding Kentucky Christian to just 37 percent shooting on the night.

With the win, Mid-America stops Kentucky Christian's national championship run. Kentucky Christian has won nine NCCAA II National Championships since 1989 and three straight titles.

Whitney McDonald was named tournament MVP. McDonald averaged 17.6 points, 15.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game in the national tournament.

Mid-America's only senior, Kim Myers, also made the All-Tournament team. Joining Myers is Kentucky's Lisa Gessford and Megan Oliver along with Lincoln Christian's Kate Geisler.

NATIONALS: Manhattan Christian Finishes Third In The Nation

LAKELAND--Manhattan Christian broke open a close game by outscoring No. 4 seed Philadelphia Biblical 35-17 in the second half to take third place in the NCCAA II National Tournament with a 71-49 victory Saturday night.

Manhattan Christian went 2-1 in the national tournament, its only loss coming to No. 2 seed Mid-America Christian University, 73-50, Friday night.

Manhattan Christian had a narrow 36-32 lead at halftime but turned up the defense in the second half.

Abby Cunningham scored 25 points to help pace the Lady Crusaders offensive attack. Kelcii Peck added 12 points, five rebounds, and three assists as Manhattan Christian shot 55 percent from the field in the second half.

Philadelphia Biblical went cold in the second half, shooting just 24 percent and finished the tournament 1-2 overall, taking fifth in the nation.

Lauren Gruver scored 12 points and Beth Smith chipped in with 11 points for the Lady Crimson Eagles.

NATIONALS: Lady Fire Season Ends With Loss to Lincoln Christian

LAKELAND--No. 8 seed Lincoln Christian built a 29-17 halftime lead over Southeastern University and held off a late Lady Fire charge to win, 56-45, Saturday afternoon to take fifth place in the NCCAA II National Tournament.

Lincoln Christian had four players in double digits and held Southeastern to just 30 percent shooting for the game.

Jodi Raymer scored 13 points while Jessica Fender added 10 points and seven steals. Evie Doss scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and Emma Hanford chipped in with 10 points.

Southeastern cut the lead to just five points with under five minutes to play, but Lincoln Christian managed to hold onto the lead by tightening up its defense down the stretch. Lincoln went 3-1 for the tournament.

Southeastern was led by Trisha Moody with 14 points and six rebounds while Erica Jensen added 13 points, six rebounds, and three steals.

The Lady Fire ended its season with a 25-12 overall record. The Lady Fire finished sixth in the country. This year's 25 wins mark the second most wins in school history and the second best finish in school history.

NATIONALS: Baptist Bible Defeats Atlanta Christian; Takes Seventh Place

LAKELAND--Jessica Doane scored 25 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out five assists, and added three steals to push Baptist Bible past Atlanta Christian College, 72-67, Saturday.

Doane hit six three-point field goals on the day and went 5-for-5 from the free throw line, giving Baptist Bible a 2-2 record for the national tournament. The Lady Defenders took seventh place overall.

The Lady Defenders took a 39-27 halftime lead into the locker room, but No. 5 seed Atlanta Christian stormed back, outscoring Baptist Bible 40-33 in the second half.

The Lady Chargers were led by Nikki Hall's 23 points and seven assists while Raileen Patterson added 19 points and 13 rebounds.

Atlanta Christian had a chance with under a minute left trailing 69-67, but Jessica Sprague hit a seven-foot jump shot, putting the game away for the Lady Defenders.

Sprague finished with 14 points and eight rebounds while Liz Bole chipped in with 12 points and three steals.

Atlanta Christian went 0-3 for the national tournament and took eighth place overall.

NATIONALS: Kentucky Christian Advances to Championship Game; Arnett Wins 400th Game
(03-03-06)

LAKELAND--Kentucky Christian is one game away from winning its fourth straight NCCAA II National Championship as it defeated No. 4 seed Philadelphia Biblical University, 62-49, Friday night.

Also with the win Friday night, Kentucky Christian Head Coach Ron Arnett won his 400th game. Arnett has won eight NCCAA II National Championships and has been named NCCAA II Coach of the Year six times.

Kentucky Christian has nine NCCAA II National Championships and 12 championship game appearances since 1989.

With the win Kentucky Christian set up a rematch of last year's national championship game with Mid-America Christian University. Mid-America defeated No. 3 seed Manhattan Christian earlier in the night, leaving it up to Kentucky Christian for the rematch.

There was little doubt early whether there would be a rematch as the Lady Knights got off to one of their usual fast starts, holding Philadelphia Biblical scoreless for the first five minutes of the game.

Kentucky built a 37-13 halftime lead, holding Philadelphia to just 13 percent shooting in the first half.

Lisa Gessford led the Lady Knights with 17 points and nine rebounds while Amber Roberts added 14 points and four assists. Megan Oliver finished with 11 points, four assists, and three steals.

Philadelphia Biblical only had one player in double digits: Beth Smith, who finished with 13 points.

Kentucky Christian defeated Mid-America last year 56-48 in Lakeland. Tomorrow's national championship game will be at 8:00 p.m.

NATIONALS: Mid-America Advances to National Championship Game

LAKELAND--For the second straight year Mid-America Christian University advanced to the NCCAA II National Championship game with a 73-50 win over No.3 seed Manhattan Christian, Friday night.

The Lady Evangels had four players in double digits and held Manhattan Christian to just 21 percent shooting from the field for the entire game.

Sophomore center Whitney McDonald led Mid-America with 15 points, 17 rebounds, and seven assists while freshman Treasure McCoy added 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Laressa McDonald added 15 points and seven steals, and Sara Harman scored 12 points for the Lady Evangels.

Mid-America took a 39-21 lead into the locker room at halftime. Mid-America has outscored its two opponents 69-40 combined in the first half for the tournament.

Susie McGraw led Manhattan Christian with 15 points and seven rebounds.

Mid-America will play the winner of No.1 seed Kentucky Christian and No. 4 seed Philadelphia Biblical on Saturday night in the NCCAA II National Championship game. Manhattan Christian will play the loser of Kentucky Christian and Philadelphia Biblical, Saturday at 6:00 p.m.

Mid-America lost to Kentucky Christian in last year's national championship game, 56-48.

NATIONALS: Lady Fire Rebounds to Defeat Baptist Bible

LAKELAND--After dropping a tough game Thursday night to Manhattan Christian, the Southeastern women showed their character Friday afternoon by beating a tough Baptist Bible team, 65-54.

Trisha Moody led the Lady Fire with 24 points and six rebounds. Erica Jensen added 15 points and 10 rebounds while Cristen Wall scored nine second half points and added eight rebounds.

Southeastern improves to 1-1 in the national tournament and will face Lincoln Christian on Saturday at 4:00 p.m.

Jessica Doane led Baptist Bible with 20 points and four assists.

Southeastern ended its four-game national tournament losing streak, which stretches back to last year when the Lady Fire went 0-3 in the national tournament.

The Lady Fire played much better offensively Friday afternoon, mostly due to its pressure defense.

Southeastern had a 28-21 halftime lead, but Baptist Bible started the second half with a 15-5 run and took the lead 36-33 early in the second half.

But the Lady Fire would go on a 8-0 run from there and hold onto the lead with Moody hitting some big shots down the stretch to secure the win.

Baptist Bible will play Atlanta Christian College on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

NATIONALS: Lincoln Christian Defeats Atlanta Christian

LAKELAND--Jodi Raymer's 17 second half points lifted No. 8 seed Lincoln Christian past No. 5 seed Atlanta Christian, 67-55, Friday afternoon.

Raymer finished the game with 19 points, five assists, and five steals.

Lincoln Christian had a 30-25 halftime lead on Atlanta Christian, holding All-South Region player Raileen Patterson to just 10 points. Nikki Hall scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Atlanta Christian.

Lincoln and Atlanta both played tremendous defense and forced numerous turnovers as the two teams combined for 51 turnovers. Both teams also shot under 40 percent from the floor for the game.

In the end, the Lady Angels executed down the stretch to pull away from the Lady Chargers.

Lincoln Christian is now 2-1 in the national tournament and will play Saturday against the winner of Southeastern University and Baptist Bible College at 4:00 p.m.

Kate Geisler continued her dominance in the national tournament, finishing the day with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Emma Hanford added 10 points, six rebounds, and three steals.

Atlanta Christian is now 0-2 in the national tournament and will play the loser of Southeastern and Baptist Bible.

NATIONALS: Lady Fire Falls to Manhattan Christian 69-55
(03-02-06)

LAKELAND--Southeastern fell to No. 3 seed Manhattan Christian, 69-55, Thursday night, ending its dream of winning a NCCAA II National Championship this year.

Manhattan built a 32-22 halftime lead by holding NCCAA II National Player of the Year Trisha Moody to just seven points in the first half. The Lady Fire also turned the ball over 17 times in the first half.

The Lady Fire struggled on the offensive end of the court, putting itself in a big hole early. Southeastern shot just 37 percent from the field for the entire game.

Moody did heat up in the second half, scoring 16 points and finishing with 23 points on the night. Freshman Erica Jensen also had a nice game, finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

But the Lady Fire had no answer for Manhattan Christian's Kelcii Peck.

As Southeastern closed in on the lead, 58-53, with 4:15 remaining in the game, Peck hit a huge three-pointer, giving the Lady Crusaders a 61-53 lead as Manhattan Christian outscored Southeastern 11-2 for the remainder of the game.

Peck finished with 24 points and five steals.

Southeastern (24-11) will play Baptist Bible on Friday at 4:00 p.m. while Manhattan Christian will face No. 2 seed Mid-America Christian University at 6:00 p.m.

NATIONALS: Kentucky Christian Cruises Past Lincoln Christian

LAKELAND--A late first half Kentucky Christian run helped push the Lady Knights to another NCCAA II Final Four appearance as Kentucky Christian College defeated Lincoln Christian College, 88-72, Thursday night.

Leah Campbell led the Lady Knights with 22 points, six rebounds, four assists, and four steals.

Lincoln Christian kept the game close in the first half, mostly due to a dominating performance by Kate Geisler. Geisler finished the night with 34 points and 17 rebounds. Lincoln Christian also outrebounded Kentucky Christian 43-32.

Kentucky Christian, which has won the past three NCCAA II National Championships, took a 43-30 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The Lady Knights shot 8-for-15 from three-point land in the first half and 13-for-24 for the entire game.

Lisa Gessford and Megan Oliver both scored 13 points for the Lady Knights.

Jodi Raymer added 13 points for Lincoln Christian.

Kentucky Christian will play Philadelphia Biblical University on Friday night while Lincoln Christian will play Atlanta Christian College on Friday at 2:00 p.m.

NATIONALS: Sorrels Leads Mid-America to Final Four

LAKELAND--Courtney Sorrels led Mid-America Christian University to a 67-52 victory over Baptist Bible on Thursday afternoon, sending the Lady Evangels to the NCCAA II Final Four.

Sorrels scored 12 second half points and finished the game with 23 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Sophomore center Whitney McDonald added 14 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and four steals.

Mid-America opened up a 30-19 halftime lead that was sparked by a great first half defensive effort. Mid-America held Baptist Bible to 8-of-28 shooting in the first half.

Jessica Sprague led Baptist Bible with 16 points, eight rebounds, and three steals.

Mid-America will play the winner of Manhattan Christian and Southeastern University tomorrow. Baptist Bible is now 1-1 for the tournament and will play the loser of Manhattan Christian and Southeastern University, tomorrow at 4:00 p.m.

NATIONALS: Philadelphia Biblical Outlasts Atlanta Christian

LAKELAND--No. 4 seed Philadelphia Biblical University outscored Atlanta Christian College 51-35 in the second half to keep its national championship hopes alive with an 85-73 victory Thursday afternoon.

Lauren Gruver led the Lady Crimson Eagles with 26 points and 11 rebounds. Lizzie Wilson finished with 15 points and seven assists while Kelly Schlegel added 13 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists.

Atlanta Christian College had a 38-34 halftime lead, but the Lady Crimson Eagles held Atlanta Christian to just 35 percent from the field in the second half.

Raileen Patterson led Atlanta Christian with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and four steals. Danielle Ellis added 13 points and five rebounds.

Atlanta Christian will play the loser of Kentucky Christian and Lincoln Christian College while Philadelphia Biblical advances to the winners bracket of the national tournament and will face the winner of Kentucky Christian and Lincoln Christian College tomorrow.

NATIONALS: Crown College Defeats Southwestern 50-32

LAKELAND--Kim Pust led Crown College past Southwestern College 50-32 as she scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Lady Purple Storm.

Crown built a 24-8 halftime lead, holding Southwestern College to just 1-for-16 shooting in the first half.

Shayla Moll scored 12 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for Southwestern while Joanna Underwood finished with 11 points, eight rebounds, and six steals.

Southwestern played better in the second half, scoring 24 points, but could never cut into the lead.

Both teams are now finished for the year. With the win, Crown College went 1-1 for the tournament, taking ninth place in the national tournament.

Southwestern College went 0-2 in the tournament and took 10th place.

NATIONALS: Baptist Bible Dominates Southwestern
(03-01-06)

LAKELAND--No. 7 seed Baptist Bible outscored No. 10 seed Southwestern College 36-9 in the first half and cruised to an 84-29 victory Wednesday night in the second game of the NCCAA II National Tournament.

Twelve Baptist Bible players scored on the night as the Lady Defenders shot 50.8 percent from the field and held Southwestern College to just 20 percent shooting on the night.

Freshman Naomi Sweeney led all scorers with 16 points while also grabbing nine rebounds for Baptist Bible. Liz Bole added 15 points and seven rebounds. Jessica Doane had nine points and four assists while Holly Walton added eight points and five assists.

Southwestern College was led by Shayla Moll's nine points and eight rebounds.

Baptist Bible will face No.2 seed Mid-America Christian University Thursday at 4:00 p.m. Southwestern College will play the first game on Thursday, facing No. 9 seed Crown College at noon.

NATIONALS: Lincoln Christian Tops Crown College

LAKELAND--Jodi Raymer led No. 8 seed Lincoln Christian College past Crown College 56-43 Wednesday night in the first game of the NCCAA II National Tournament. Lincoln Christian will now play No.1 seed Kentucky Christian Thursday night at 6:00 p.m.

Raymer finished the game with 24 points and two steals. The Lady Angels used a late, first half run to take a 29-15 halftime lead, shooting 50 percent from the floor in the first half.

Kari Otto scored 11 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and added five assists while Kate Geisler added seven points, 12 rebounds, and five steals.

Jill Stumbo led the Lady Storm with 14 points, four rebounds, and three assists.

Lincoln Christian held Crown College to 21percent shooting from the field in the first half and just 29.5 percent shooting for the entire game.

Crown College will play the loser of Baptist Bible College and Southwestern College, Thursday at noon.

Moody Named National Player of the Year; All-Americans Named

LAKELAND--With Southeastern preparing to host the 2006 NCCAA II Women's Basketball National Tournament, the Lady Fire received great news on Tuesday with Trisha Moody being named NCCAA I National Player of the Year.

Moody averaged 15.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game for the 2005-2006 season, leading the Southeastern University Lady Fire to a 24-10 record.

Moody is Southeastern's all-time leading scorer and is also a three-time NCCAA II All-American selection.

"I could not have done it without the help of my coaching staff, my teammates, or the Southeastern Athletic Department," said Moody.

This marks the second time this year a Southeastern University player has been named National Player of the Year. Darla Sechrest earned the honor for women's volleyball.

Southeastern is the No.6 seed in the NCCAA II National Tournament this week and will play No.3 seed Manahattan Christian on Thursday night at 8:00 p.m.

First Team All-Americans

Jessica Doane| Baptist Bible College, Pa.
Katie Geisler| Lincoln Christian College
Holly Jones| Atlanta Christian College
Whitney McDonald| Mid-America Christian University
Trisha Moody| Southeastern University
Megan Oliver| Kentucky Christian University
Kelcii Peck| Manhattan Christian College
Beth Smith| Philadelphia Biblical University
Courtney Sorrel