By Tayler Redinger/Owens Sports Information
TOLEDO, Ohio --- The Express women's basketball won the 2022-23 conference title with a victory over rival Lakeland Community College. With an overall record of 18-5 and their #2 NJCAA national ranking, the Express program has momentum going into post-season play on March 3rd for the District championship.
Being #1 in the OCCAC conference is no small feat, and the team's 9-1 record against Lakeland is especially impressive. Their statistics, such as averaging 66 points per game and 40 rebounds per game, are a reflection of their strong offense and defense.
RECENT GAMES
Jan 21 Lakeland L, 60-52
Feb 4 Hocking W, 78-43
Feb 8 at Terra State W, 83-70
Feb 11 Cuyahoga W, 80-43
Feb 20 at Lakeland W, 62-53
Congratulations to head coach Stephen Perry and Tre'Von Beverly for their leadership in guiding the team to such an outstanding season. I wish the Owens Express Women's Basketball team the best of luck as they continue to compete in the district championship. I hope to see many fans in attendance on March 4th, wearing their red colors and cheering on the team to victory.
With an impressive season record of 18-5 record and leading the OCCAC. Their recent win against rival Lakeland with a score of 62-53 secured their position as conference champions. This marks the second time ever that a D-III team has won the Conference Championship in basketball, the first being the Owens Express back in 2019.
The team is now preparing for the 2023 Division III Great Lakes District Championship on Saturday, March 4th, 2023 at 1:00 pm. The winner of this game between Region 12 and Region 4 will advance to the National Championship in Rochester, MN.
The coaching staff, led by Stephen Perry and Tre'Von Beverly, has done an outstanding job building perseverance this season. Perry's experience and expertise have been instrumental in the team's success, with a 330-89 (.788) record overall and a 35-23 (.603) performance as head coach. Beverly's contributions have also been significant, with her focus on player development, recruiting, and strength and conditioning.
"Very proud of this group, even though we have 6 returners from last year's National Championship team, we are a different team with a different identity. We wanted to challenge them with our schedule and we definitely did that. We played 4 games versus ranked D-II teams and only had 1 D-III team on our schedule. Our conference is very solid top to bottom, every game posed a different challenge. We have a saying that we need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. This group has definitely done that and has risen to every occasion that has been in front of them."
Stay tuned for further tournament information and live streaming options.