The Mount Vernon Nazarene College women's basketball team capped off its fourth straight winning season in 2000-2001 by winning the National Christian College Athletic Association national title as the Lady Cougars posted a 20-12 overall record.
"I am extremely proud of this team's accomplishments," said head coach Steve Gregory. "Winning 20 games is always an impressive feat, especially when there is a national title at the end of that season. However, I am more proud of the way this team exemplified their Christian virtue and team-above-self attitude throughout a long, up-and-down season. The MVNC community can take great pride in the way that this team represented them."
The season got off to a fantastic start for MVNC as the Lady Cougars won their first eight games for the best start in school history. During this span, the team also won both their games at the NCCAA East Region Classic with victories over Roberts Wesleyan College and Nyack College. MVNC also made its first-ever appearance in the NAIA Division II national poll as the Lady Cougars debuted at #20 when the first poll of the season was released in December.
Following a loss to NAIA Division I nationally-ranked Central State University, MVNC won two of its three games on the team's trip to Texas during Christmas break. Three more victories after returning north improved the Lady Cougars' record to 13-2, and the team received its highest national ranking ever by moving up to #17 in the second NAIA Division II poll.
The team went 3-3 over its next six games with the losses coming to some of the top teams in the American Mideast Conference - Shawnee State University, Ohio Dominican College, and Seton Hill College. Then, MVNC closed the season by dropping seven of its final eight contests as the team's record stood at 17-11.
Despite barely missing the AMC Tournament, the Lady Cougars were still alive with postseason possibilities as the team competed in the NCCAA East Region Tournament. MVNC traveled to Nyack for the region title game on March 2 with the winner receiving an automatic berth in the NCCAA National Tournament in North Carolina. The Lady Cougars came up a little short as they fell 72-69 as Nyack hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to win the game. However, the team did receive an at-large berth in the NCCAA National Tournament as the eighth seed.
MVNC made the most of its opportunity to play in the NCCAA National Tournament as the Lady Cougars upset top-seeded Gardner-Webb University 68-56 in the first round, fourth-seeded Concordia College 70-68 in the semifinals, and second-seeded East Texas Baptist University 79-64 in the championship game to claim the program's second NCCAA national title.
"This truly has been a season to remember," said Gregory, who was named the NCCAA National Coach of the Year. "We have enjoyed a lot of success over the past few seasons and ended our seasons qualifying for the NCCAA National Tournament, which is always a great thrill. This season was similar with the exception of not only qualifying for the tournament, but actually bringing the championship banner home and finishing our year with three consecutive victories."
"We also achieved big milestones along the way," Gregory added. "We achieved an NAIA national ranking for the first time in school history, and we ran off eight straight wins to begin the season."
Individually, several players had outstanding seasons for MVNC. Junior Angie Trainer led the team in scoring at 16.3 points per game, and she became the 12th Lady Cougar to score 1,000 career points. She broke the school record for most points scored in a season with 506. She was also named to the AMC First Team and the NCCAA All-American First Team, and she was selected as the Most Valuable Player of the NCCAA National Tournament.
Senior LeAnn Mallernee averaged 14.3 points and a team-high 8.6 rebounds per game, and she was selected to the AMC Second Team and the NCCAA All-American Second Team. The transfer from Capital University also broke the MVNC single-season record for blocked shots with 54 rejections, and she set a new mark for most field goals made with 185.
Senior Deanna Kilpatrick contributed 9.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, and she earned AMC Honorable Mention and NCCAA All-American Honorable Mention recognition. She became the 13th player in school history to reach the 1,000-point mark, and she also became the program's career leader in three-pointers made with 184.
"It was a great accomplishment for Deanna and Angie to reach the 1,000-point mark for their careers," said Gregory. "That gives us five 1,000-point scorers now in the last two seasons alone."
Freshman Susan Adams was named to the AMC All-Freshmen Team after averaging 7.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, while senior Kelly Shetler (6.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game) and sophomore Jenni Davis (10.9 points per game and 60 three-pointers) also contributed heavily to the team's success.
With the graduation of three senior starters, MVNC will have some roster spots to fill for next year. However, the Lady Cougars also have a solid group of players returning to continue the team's winning ways.