Rock Valley College Athletics

Game Preview: #2 RVC Set To Take On NJCAA DII Wilbur Wright College for Sophomore Day

2/4/2017 9:21:00 AM

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Rockford, IL - #2 RVC Women's Basketball hosts Wilbur Wright College on Saturday, February 4^th, 2017 for Sophomore Day. Tip-off is set for 1:00 PM in the Physical Education Center.

Probable Starters

#2 NJCAA DIII Rock Valley College (21-3, 9-0)
PG- Chrisseesha Clark, 5'5, So., Rockford, IL; 8.0 ppg, 4.1 apg
SG- Jaycee Cleaver, 5'8, So., Davis, IL; 14.8 ppg, 4.1 apg
G-  Breeanda Howell, 5'9, So., Chicago, IL; 2.0 ppg, 2.0 apg
PF- Jade Barber, 6'2, So., DeKalb, IL; 2.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg
C- Tierra McGowan, 6'4, So., Chicago, IL; 20.7 ppg, 13.6 rpg
 
Wilbur Wright College (1-19, 0-9)
G- Diana Delabra, 5'2, Fr., Chicago, IL; 12.4 ppg, 3.1 apg
G- Jamice Flowers, 5'7, Fr., Chicago, IL; 8.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg
F-  Sandy Ramirez, 5'5, Fr., Chicago, IL; 20.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg
F- Markiera Reed, 5'8., So, Waukegan, IL; 4.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg
F- Isabel Lozoya, 6'1, Fr., Chicago, IL; 3.4 ppg, 2.6 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 #2 nationally, maintaining their spot from the poll before… The Golden Eagles are 21-3 heading into Saturday's game... The Golden Eagles are 9-0 in conference play, coming off of a bye game due to Harper College canceling their season… Rock Valley College will be celebrating its five sophomore Golden Eagles on Saturday… The group of five sophomores have put together an impressive resume, compiling a record of 44 wins and 11 losses, and one N4C Conference Championship.

Wilbur Wright College Notes
Wilbur Wright College is an NJCAA DII member located in Chicago, IL… The Rams are coached by Tom Horn… Horn joined Wright as head coach in March of 2016.

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 (20.8 PPG), and sitting as the second leading scorer in the nation at 500 total points... McGowan leads the country in field goal makes at 229 with a 61.9% field goal percentage, which is good to place her as the nation's second best as well... Tierra also leads RVC in rebounding at (13.6 RPG), while leading the country in total rebounds (326)... She had also added 43 blocks on the season, which sits her in the Top 10 at fifth overall.

- The Golden Eagles are also led by second leading scorer Jaycee Cleaver (14.4 PPG) with 346 total points, which lands her as the nation's 25^th leading scorer... Jaycee currently has the 3^rd most 3 point field goals made nationally with (70), while shooting 41.2%... Her percentage lands her 13th nationally... Jaycee is also the fifth best free throw shooter in the nation, shooting 84.3% for the year... Cleaver is also ranked twelfth in total assists with 99.

N4C Conference Standings
Rock Valley College: 21-3 (9-0)
Madison College: 17-5 (7-2)
College of DuPage: 9-10 (6-3)
Joliet Junior College: 15-9 (5-4)
Milwaukee Area Technical College: 13-9 (5-4)
Triton College: 9-15 (2-7)
Harper College: 2-13 (1-6)
Wilbur Wright College: 1-19 (0-8)



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 190-57 (.767). 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.