C of O Lady Bobcat Basketball team wins the A.I.I. Conference Championship

Men’s and women’s teams qualify for 2020 NAIA DII Basketball National Championship

The Lady Bobcats defeated Voorhees (S.C.) in the A.I.I. Conference Championship on March 1 to claim the national title. The A.I.I. Conference Championship was hosted by Lincoln College in Lincoln, Nebraska, Feb. 28--March 1.

The men’s team secured an NAIA DII National Tournament berth with their second-place finish.

The Lady Bobcats ended the tournament with a commanding 78-59 victory to secure the championship and will go into the NAIA National Tournament with only four losses on the year. The Lady Bobcats had four players named to the All-tournament Team: Kyra Hardesty, Aleksei Smith, Annie Noah, and Abby Oliver. In addition to the All-tournament Team, Abby Oliver was voted the Most Outstanding Player.

The men’s team finished the tournament as the runner-up after a one-point buzzer-beater loss to the host team, Lincoln College. The Bobcats had three players named to the All-tournament Team: Ayden Stone, Andrew Mitchell, and Brandt Cochran.

The NAIA DII Basketball National Championship will be held March 11-17 at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.

The Bobcats (20-12) will play their first-round game in Sioux Falls, SD at the Sanford Pentagon on Wednesday, March 11, at 1:45 PM, against the Morningside Mustangs of Iowa (26-3).  Information on ticket prices, tournament bracket, live streaming, etc. can be found here (look for the gray box on the right-hand side): https://www.naia.org/sports/mbkb2/index

The Lady Cats (29-4) will take on Lawrence Tech of Michigan (21-12) in their first-round game on Thursday, March 12, at 3:30 PM.   Information on ticket prices, tournament bracket, live streaming, etc. can be found here (look for the gray box on the right-hand side): https://www.naia.org/sports/wbkb2/index