Lady Jackets win NCCAA championship OAKLAND CITY, Ind. — Tournament MVP Alison Lemon totaled 16 points and nine assists to rally Cedarville University to an 80-77 overtime victory against Hope International to win the National Christian College Athletic Association Women's Basketball Championship. It’s the first NCCAA banner in three title game appearances for the CU women’s basketball program.
The Lady Jackets held a 34-32 halftime lead, but the NAIA Division I Royals took immediate control early in the second period. They quickly built a double-digit lead and still enjoyed a 62-48 spread with 6:35 left. Cedarville answered with three consecutive three-pointers to finish off a run of ten straight points to get back in it.
It was still a 69-62 deficit with less than two minutes remaining when the Jackets made one final push. Trailing 72-70, Lemon was fouled with 2.3 seconds left and calmly made both free throws to force overtime.
Cedarville, 17-14 overall, never trailed in the extra session. Lemon set up junior center Emily Noble for a layup at the 2:55 mark to break a 74-all tie that gave the Jackets the lead for good. The sophomore guard then hit two more charity tosses with 8.3 seconds to go to account for the final and Hope, 19-17, could not get off a shot before the buzzer.
Lemon, who re-injured her left ankle early in the contest, gutted out her Tournament MVP performance. She was joined on the all-tournament team by junior guard Bayley Nosal, who came off the bench with four three-pointers for 14 points, and freshman forward Aubrey Siemon, who racked up 14 points and a career-high 17 rebounds. Rachel Hurley hit four treys for 12 points while Lydia Miller added 11 points.
Cedarville made a season-high 13 three-pointers including a 9-for-14 showing in the second half.
The Jackets also controlled the boards, 50-44, with Noble joining Siemon in double figures with 10 rebounds.
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