Game Preview: Women's Basketball Hosts Nationally Ranked Kankakee Community College

Game Preview: Women's Basketball Hosts Nationally Ranked Kankakee Community College

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Rockford, IL - RVC Women's Basketball and their seven game winning streak gets put to the test today against #6 NJCAA DII Kankakee Community College. Tip off is set for 1 PM in The Nest.

Probable Starters
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#4 NJCAA DIII Rock Valley College (7-2)

PG- Chrisseesha Clark, 5'5, So., Rockford, IL; 5.6 ppg, 3.5 apg
SG- Jaycee Cleaver, 5'8, So., Davis, IL; 14.9 ppg, 4.7 apg
G- Emily Cox, 5'9, Fr., Erie, IL; 7.8 ppg, 2.0 apg
PF- Anastasia Karaivanova, 6'0, Fr., Bulgaria; 4.9 ppg, 5.1  rpg
C- Tierra McGowan, 6'4, So., Chicago, IL; 17.9 ppg, 12.3 rpg
 
#6 NJCAA DII Kankakee Community College (9-0)
G- Kiara Moses, 5'9, Fr., Urbana, IL; 9.3 ppg, 5.3 apg
G- Tanzania Sherrill, 5'9, So., Glendale, WI; 15.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg
F-  Devon Thaxton, 5'11, So., Decatur, IL; 15 ppg, 4.6 rpg
F- Jasmine Albert, 5'9., So,Miami, FL; 16 ppg, 5.8 rpg
C- Mercedes Jackson, 6'0, So., Rock Island, IL; 16 ppg, 7.9 rpg

Game Notes
Rock Valley is an NJCAA Division III member of the North Central Community College Conference (N4C)… In the first NJCAA DIII Poll released on December 6th, the Golden Eagles checked in at #4 nationally… The Golden Eagles are coming off seven straight wins... The last RVC victory was this past Saturday against NJCAA DII Jackson College... The Golden Eagles were led by sophomore captain Tierra McGowan with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Kankakee Notes
Kankakee Community College is a NJCAA DII institution. The Cavaliers compete in Region IV of the NJCAA, which includes colleges in Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan. Kankakee is entering this game with a 9-0 record and a #6 ranking in NJCAA D2. The Cavaliers are coached by Donnie Denson. Over the last 17 seasons with Denson at the helm, the Lady Cavaliers have compiled a 410-124 record, and a winning percentage of .768. He has continued to build upon the program's history of success, and the Cavaliers have won the Region IV championship 20 times in the last 26 years.

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Misty Opat is in her 8th year as the Head Women's Basketball Coach at Rock Valley College. Opat has established her program as one of the best in the history of the NJCAA. Her program has won three NJCAA DIII National Championships (2012, 2013, 2015) in the past four seasons and finished in National Runner-Up in 2014. Entering this season, Opat has compiled an overall record of 174-54 (.763). She was named Spalding NJCAA DIII National Coach of the Year in 2015, has been named the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year four times, the Region IV Coach of the Year four times, the District 2 Coach of the Year four times, and the Coach of the NJCAA DIII National Tournament three times. Prior to RVC, Opat accumulated seven years of NCAA Division I coaching experience. From 1999-2002 she served as an assistant coach at the University of Illinois at Chicago where she also served as the Recruiting Coordinator. In 2000 her UIC recruiting class was ranked 19th in the country for NCAA Division I. Opat also held assistant coaching positions at Fresno State University (1998-99) and the University of Kansas (1995-1998) where in both cases she was also heavily involved in recruiting and scouting. Opat earned an Associate of Science degree from Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kansas, where she was a two-year team captain in basketball and was named to the all-conference and all-region teams in both seasons. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas, where she earned NAIA All-American honors as a player. Opat then went on to obtain a Master of Science in Sports Administration from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas.
 
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