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Press Release

This is a press release submitted by one of the schools playing in this game. It has not been edited or approved by D3hoops.com
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HOLLAND, Mich. — Howard Payne (Texas) University went more than five
minutes without a point to start the game, but bounced back to defeat
the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 69-59, to reach the
championship game of the NCAA Division III women's basketball
tournament at DeVos Fieldhouse.

The Lady Jackets (32-0) will meet Messiah (Pa.) College, an 80-60
winner over Oglethorpe (Ga.) at 5 p.m. Saturday to determine this
year's national champion. Howard Payne is in the title game for the
first time in school history.

Howard Payne missed its first 14 shots from the field, but trailed
only 3-0 before Meia Daniels hit a 3-point shot to get the Lady
Jackets on the board with 14:46 left in the first half. A 10-2 run,
capped by Elaine Hobbs' 3-point play, gave Howard Payne a 27-17 lead
with 4:55 left in the first half.

Whitewater (28-4), which was in the NCAA tournament for the first time
in 13 years, whittled a 14-point Howard Payne lead to seven at 46-39
with 9:58 remaining on Tiffany Morton's two free throws. But Daniels,
named Thursday as the national player of the year by the Women's
Basketball Coaches of America, hit a jumper in the lane and a 3-point
basket to stem the rally.

"When coach calls a play for me, that's him telling me we need a
bucket," said Daniels, who led Howard Payne with 20 points, including
4-of-6 from 3-point range. Kimberly Hoffman added 13 points.

Howard Payne overcame 33 percent shooting from the field by
outrebounding Whitewater 43-31, including 21 offensive rebounds, and
its swarming defense caused 27 Warhawk turnovers and held the nation's
best 3-point shooting team to 3-of-13 from beyond the arc.

"We felt we needed to do a better job (of rebounding)," Lady Jackets'
coach Chris Kielsmeier said. "To get 21 offensive rebounds and limit
them to nine showed what kind of performance we had."

Morton led Whitewater with 22 points and seven rebounds.

"They're good, they're tough, they're strong, they're athletic,"
Warhawks' coach Keri Carollo said. "Meia Daniels is the real deal.
When we got within seven, she hit the big shots."

Press release submitted by on Mar 22 2008 at 02:43 AM

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