Owens WBB Ascends To No. 2 In Latest NJCAA D-II Poll

Essence Cowan is pictured bringing the ball up the court with Haili Mossing (L) and Sybil Roseboro (R) just behind. Photo by Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Essence Cowan is pictured bringing the ball up the court with Haili Mossing (L) and Sybil Roseboro (R) just behind. Photo by Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Posted: Jan 24, 2017

By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information

Toledo, Ohio---The Owens Community College women's basketball team (19-0, 6-0 OCCAC) has moved up one spot in the latest National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II poll and now sits at No. 2.

Owens, which had been ranked No. 3 for the first six polls of the season, is now just one of two undefeated teams in the nation at the NJCAA Division II level along with No. 1 Kirkwood Community College. Both teams are 19-0.

The No. 2 ranking is the highest for the program since the March 4, 2015 poll when the team was also ranked second. Owens has never been ranked No. 1 in the country at the NJCAA Division II level, thus this week's ranking ties the mark for highest in program history.

For the full rankings, visit here

NEXT UP/NATIONAL LEADERS

The Owens women's basketball team, which will be back in action tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. on the road at Lakeland Community College, is now leading the nation in scoring at 95.9 points per contest.

The team is also ranked among the top 10 in field goals made (2), field goal percentage (6), free throws made (5), free throw percentage (3), offensive rebounds (2), defensive rebounds (4), total rebounds (2), assists (2), steals (3) and blocks (3). 

On top of that, sophomore guard Ariel Bethea (Huron/Ann Arbor, Mich.) is now second in the nation in steals per game at 4.7, freshman guard Essence Cowan (Lima Senior/Lima, Ohio) is 11th in the nation in assist/turnover ratio at 3.1 and 13th in 3-point field goal percentage at 42.9, freshman point guard Brenda Pennington (Bishop Noll/Hammond, Ind.) is 17th in the nation in assists per game at 4.8, and sophomore forward Jeryn Reese (Mansfield/Mansfield, Ohio) is 17th in field goal percentage at 57.4.

HIGHEST SCORING TEAM IN THE NATION

Aside from averaging a nation best 95.9 points per game, Owens has outscored its opponents by the following margins - 70 or more six times, 50 or more eight times, 40 or more 11 times and 30 or more 17 times. Its closest win was 22 points.

Furthermore, Owens has defeated its five January opponents by an average of 61.8 points per game. They have scored 100 more points seven times this year - three times in January alone. Defensively, the team is allowing just 45.1 points per game and even held Clark State Community College to zero points in a quarter on Saturday. 

GOING STREAKING

Owens has now won 33 straight regular season games dating back to Jan. 6 of last year. They have also won 40 straight regular season conference games dating back to Feb. 8, 2014.