NAIA TOURNAMENT NOTEBOOK:Lions a nice fit in Jackson

JACKSON, Tenn. — With four seniors and one junior in the starting lineup, the top-seeded Vanguard University women’s basketball team (29-0) has experience on its side as it attempts to win the program’s first national championship at the NAIA Tournament in Oman Arena.

Senior Kelly Schmidt, in fact, said having ended every season on the 5,600-seat facility’s parquet floor, has made it a special place for her and her teammates.

“I feel very comfortable here,” Schmidt said after the Lions’ 74-64 first-round win over Harris-Stowe of St. Louis, Mo. “I noticed last year it was different for the girls who had been here before, and this year is a continuation of that. Going out there, it’s just a game and once you get on the court, like any other game, you just have to go out and do it. Just like at The Pit back home.”

Today’s second-round matchup, at 8:45 a.m. against Oklahoma City (27-7), will be the 12th game Schmidt, as well as fellow senior starters Rachel Besse and Lacey Burns, have played at Oman, which has hosted the NAIA Tournament since 1990 and recently signed a two-year agreement to host the tournament through the 2008-09 season.

SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY

The people of Jackson go out of their way to embrace teams competing in the tournament, but Vanguard is one team many locals especially look forward to seeing every year.

Lions Coach Russ Davis, who has taken teams here nine times, including the last six seasons, knows so many people in the city, Vanguard assistant coach John Barney jokingly calls him the Mayor of Jackson.

Vanguard also visits Jackson every other year to play in the December Rotary Classic.

“It’s funny,” Schmidt said. “[Davis] knows a lot of people [in Jackson] and he’s definitely in his element. He loves talking basketball and everybody back here loves talking basketball, too. There’s just a lot of nice people back here and he gets along with everyone. It’s really as fun for him to come back here as it is for us.”

In the Lions’ opening-round victory, the only banner displayed in the arena was a 10-foot white banner stating: West Tennessee Healthcare welcomes Vanguard University Lady Lions. On the banner was Vanguard’s lion’s head logo, as well as the NAIA logo.

A local high school also provided cheerleaders for the Lions, whose games are followed, via radio and/or the internet, all season long by some loyal local Vanguard fans.

“When we lost in the semifinals last year, I had a girl come up to me who was crying, saying how sorry she was that we lost,” Davis said. “I think I literally must shake 100 hands a day, when I’m back here.”

STARS SHINE BRIGHT

Oklahoma City has a reputation built upon far more than this season’s success, which included a 9-0 start that eventually became 14-1.

The Stars, guided by Rob Edmisson who is 361-129 in his 16 seasons, won four consecutive NAIA championships from 1999 to 2002, then lost in the championship game the next three seasons.

Including last year’s 74-68 quarterfinal loss to eventual champion Union of Tennessee, the Stars have either won or been eliminated by the eventual champion, in the last eight NAIA Tournaments.

Oklahoma City defeated Freed-Hardeman, ranked No. 15 in the final poll, 95-85, in double overtime Wednesday.

“When you get here, everybody can play,” Davis said. “When I think of Oklahoma City, I think of success. We’ve talked all year about having a big [championship] banner to put up in our gym and [the Stars] have lots of banners in their gym.

“[The Stars] were impressive [Wednesday]. They beat a good Freed-Hardeman [from nearby Henderson, Tenn.] team in front of [Freed’s] home crowd. [The Stars] are well coached and they have great players. I thought they did a good job cheering for Harris-Stowe [Wednesday].”

FOREIGN LEGION

Oklahoma City is led by two foreign players who transferred there from four-year schools.

Alexandra Kotta, a 5-11 senior from the Central African Republic, is averaging 13.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.0 steals for the Stars after transferring from Louisiana-Lafayette.

Romana Vynuchalova, a 6-4 junior from Bratislava, Slovakia, is averaging 10.8 points and 4.4 rebounds after transferring from Penn State.

Kotta had 25 points, while Viola Beybeyah, a 5-10 junior, had 23 against Freed-Hardeman on Wednesday.