Game Preview: Top Ranked Golden Eagles Host Milwaukee Tech in Region IV Tournament Semifinals
Probable Starters
#1 NJCAA DIII Rock Valley College (27-2)
PG- Chrisseesha Clark, 5'5, So., Rockford, IL; 8.2 ppg, 4.5 apg
SG- Jaycee Cleaver, 5'8, So., Davis, IL; 14.3 ppg, 3.8 apg
G- Emily Cox, 5'9, Fr., Erie, IL; 9.8 ppg, 2.5 apg
PF- Anastasia Karaivanova, 6'0, Fr., Bulgaria; 5.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg
C- Tierra McGowan, 6'4, So., Chicago, IL; 20.9 ppg, 13.7 rpg
Milwaukee Area Technical College (15-12)
G- Brittany Kattenberg, 5'7, So., Poynette, WI; 14.9 ppg, 4.2 apg
G- Jermisisha Booker, 5'6, So., Milwaukee, WI; 4.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg
F- Daniela Moore, 5'7, So., Racine, WI; 4.9 ppg, 9.5 rpg
F- Mickaiah Jones-Cogwell, 6'1., Fr., Milwaukee, WI; 6.0 ppg, 9.2 rpg
F- Tara Jefferson, 6'0, So., Milwaukee, WI; 16.9 ppg, 12.5 rpg
Game Notes
Rock Valley is an NJCAA Division III member of the North Central Community College Conference (N4C)… In the latest NJCAA DIII Poll, the Golden Eagles checked in at #1 nationally, remaining ranked as the nation's top team… The Golden Eagles are 27-2 overall now heading into Saturday's Region IV Semifinal match up against the MATC Stormers... The Golden Eagles are coming off of their last win Saturday in a 62-61 thriller at #4 Madison College… The Golden Eagles were led by 24 points and 13 rebounds from Tierra McGowan.... Jaycee Cleaver added 14 points to go along with 7 steals and 5 rebounds... Chrisseesha Clark and Emily Cox each added 11 points, respectively.
Milwaukee Area Technical College Notes
Milwaukee Area Technical College is an NJCAA DIII member of the North Central Community College Conference (N4C) located in Milwaukee, WI... The Stormers are 15-12 on the season overall and are led by head coach Randy Casey... Rock Valley is 2-0 against the Stormers this year winning both games by double digits... The Stormers are coming off of an opening round win in the Region 4 tournament over DuPage 57-39.
Individual and Team Stats
*Note: The NJCAA DIII level is represented by over 100 plus women's basketball teams across the United States.
- The Golden Eagles are led by Tierra McGowan, who is the leading scorer on the team (20.9 PPG), and sitting as the 5th leading scorer in the nation at 607 total points... McGowan leads the country in field goal makes at 273 with a 59.0% field goal percentage, which is good to place her as the nation's fifth best... McGowan also leads RVC in rebounding at (13.7 RPG), while 2nd in the country in total rebounds (398)... She has also added 65 blocks on the season, which sits her in the Top 10 at 4th overall.
- The Golden Eagles are also led by second leading scorer Jaycee Cleaver (14.3 PPG) with 416 total points... Jaycee currently has the 4th most 3 point field goals made nationally with (83), while shooting 40.1%... Her percentage lands her 12th nationally... Jaycee is also the 4th best free throw shooter in the nation, shooting 85.9% for the year... Cleaver is also ranked 15th in total assists with 109.
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 200-57 (.776). 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.
