CIRCLEVILLE, OH - The Valley Forge Christian College Lady Patriots fell to Ohio Christian University (77-61) in the consolation round of the NCCAA Division II women's basketball national tournament. The Lady Patriots' fourth place finish is the highest in program history.
The Lady Patriots' highlight of the NCCAA Division II national tournament came in the quarterfinals against Clearwater Christian College (Clearwater, FL). The Lady Patriots trailed by about nine points with five minutes remaining in the game, and went on a 20-0 run to lock up an 83-72 victory.
It was amazing to watch the Valley Forge Lady Patriots, as they pulled out a victory that almost seemed a lost. It was the first time that they Lady Patriots had been to the national tournament and it was good to see them get a win in their first year out there.
The following day, the Lady Patriots would fall in the Final Four to eventual national champions, Kentucky Christian University, 87-51.
Earlier in the season, the Lady Patriots defeated Kentucky Christian University. This time around, the KCU Lady Knights would never let up.
Although the Lady Patriots weren't able to tack on a national championship, they had a lot to be proud of. The Lady Patriots earned their first East Region championship banner. They won over 20 games for the first time in program history (21-13). They advanced to the NCCAA Division II Final Four. Two players were named to the NCCAA Division II All-American team (Amanda Reich, Shawneal McKeither).
In the consolation round, the Lady Patriots faced another familiar opponent, Ohio Christian University. The Valley Forge women played OCU twice during the regular season, and lost both contests. OCU was expected to advance to the championship game of the national tournament, but was upset in the Final Four.
The entire Valley Forge Christian College community is extremely proud of the women's basketball team's accomplishments and look forward to watching the 2011-2012 Lady Patriots next year!
