Fourth straight national title, sixth overall for Kirkwood women

Staci Gillum buried the dagger Saturday night in the NJCAA Division II women's basketball tournament at Illinois Central Community College.

With less than a minute to play, Gillum dropped in a mid-range jumper to give Kirkwood a 66-60 lead and help secure the school's fourth consecutive national championship with a 72-62 victory over previously unbeaten Patrick Henry Community College.

Eighth-ranked Patrick Henry had been the giant killers of the tournament. The Lady Patriots opened with a win over Prince Georges College, followed by upsets of second-ranked Johnson Community College and fourth-ranked Kankakee Community College.

But top-ranked Kirkwood (37-1) opened strong, gaining a quick 12-3 edge and limiting Patrick Henry to one field goal in the first six and a half minutes.

The high powered Lady Patriot offense did not remain dormant for long. Behind the shooting of Andrea Hauser and Virginia Tech transfer Andrea Barbour, Patrick Henry trimmed the gap to 37-35 by halftime.

Defense and hot shooting made the difference for Kirkwood. The Lady Patriots, who averaged 73 points in three previous tournament games, including a 91-point effort against Kankakee in a semifinal, shot 43 percent and was held to 62 points.

“Our players buy into our defense, and we do well,” said Kirkwood Coach Kim Muhl.

The Eagles shot 62 percent for the game, making 21 of 34 shots.

“It was a complete team effort,” said Gillum, who joined fellow guard Kari Goodchild on the all-tournament team.

Teammate Andi Waugaman was named the most outstanding player. “We came together as a team,” Waugaman said. “It feels so good to win the title.”

Gillum led the Eagles with 16 points. Waugaman added 12 and Kalli Hansen 10.

“Our players worked day-to-day all year,” Muhl said after coaching Kirkwood to its sixth national title. “They battled through and stepped up when they needed to.”

The six titles tie the Eagles with Illinois Central for the most in NJCAA Division II.

-- Darrin Cline, correspondent