Season Review: Women's Basketball soars to new heights in 2012-13 season
By: Andrew Korba
The 2012-13 Ohio Northern women's basketball season was one that go down as the best ever.
The Polar Bears finished 27-2, with a perfect 18-0 mark in OAC play. The 27 wins are the most in school history and Northern became the first team to finish the OAC undefeated since the 1999-00 season.
ONU ascended to as high as No. 3 in both the D3hoops.com rankings and the USA Today Sports Division III Coaches poll.
Northern also captured its first OAC Regular Season and Tournament Championship since the 1987-88 season. The Polar Bears also made their first appearance in the NCAA III Tournament since 1988-89.
For the team's efforts, 12th year head coach Michele Durand was named OAC Coach of the Year and Women's Basketball Coaches Association Region 6 Coach of the Year for the second time.
Senior Joanna Snyder and Cenzie Yoder earned D3hoops.com Second Team All-Great Lakes honors. Snyder also was named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-America Honorable Mention Team.
Senior Morgan Dumbaugh capped off tremendous collegiate career by becoming the 10th member of the 1,000 point club against Muskingum (Dec. 15). Dumbaugh would go on to break the ONU all-time scoring record on Mar. 2 against Hope (Mich.)
She concludes her career ranked first in points (1,242), second in career free throw percentage (.820), third in three pointers made (167) and fourth in field goals made (421).
Dumbaugh was rewarded with her second All-OAC honor and was named First Team All-OAC for the first time in her career.
Snyder joined Dumbaugh in the 1,000 point club against Wilmington (Feb. 13). Snyder was also named Co-OAC Player of the Year, MVP of the OAC Tournament, First Team All-OAC, and earned a selection to the Capital One Academic All-America First Team.
Snyder finished the season ranked second on the team in scoring at 13.1 ppg and in rebounding at 5.8 rpg.
She ends her career ranked 10th in points scored with 1,059, fifth in field goals made with 414, sixth in blocks with 54 and tied for seventh with 207 assists.
Senior Katie Mengos earned her first All-OAC honor. She was selected as Honorable Mention All-OAC after leading the team in assists (87), steal (75) and assist/turnover ratio (2.0). Her 75 steals are now a new single season program record.
Mengos concludes her career as the Polar Bears all-time leader in assists with 311 and in steals with 209.
Yoder led Northern in scoring (14.1 ppg) and in rebounding (7.0 rpg). She was also second on the team dishing out 84 assists and recording 54 steals.
Her efforts landed her a D3hoops.com Second Team All-American honor, a All-OAC First Team selection and a spot on the OAC Tournament team.
Sophomore Jordan Kimes, junior Taylor Hermiller, junior Sara Kocian, Mengos and Snyder were rewarded for their efforts off the court, by earning Academic All-OAC selections.
ONU opened its season with a 67-48 victory over Lake Forest (Ill.) at the Washington U (Mo.) Classic. Northern advanced to the title game, where they were knocked off to No. 9 Wash. U. by a 63-60 score.
After the loss to Wash. U., Northern would reel off 26 straight victories, winning by an average of 20.0 ppg. The streak saw only one single digit victory and 25 victories by at least 11 points.
The Polar Bears captured the St. Mary's (Ind.) Thanksgiving Classic and opened OAC play with a 75-48 win over Marietta.
Northern continued rolling and picked up a tough 66-62 road win at Denison before kicking off the new year with a 62-45 win over No. 13 Mount Union (Jan. 5).
ONU clinched the OAC Regular Season title outright on Feb. 9 with a 71-53 win at No. 22 Mount Union and capped off a perfect OAC Regular Season with a 77-42 victory over Capital on Senior Day (Feb. 16).
The Polar Bears received a double bye in the OAC Tournament. Northern topped Wilmington by a 62-39 score in the semifinals and defeated Otterbein 73-46 for its first OAC Tournament Championship since 1987-88.
Northern was placed at Hope (Mich.) for the NCAA III Tournament and picked up its first win in the tournament since 1988-89 with a 86-68 win over Hanover (Ind.). The Polar Bears season would come to a close at the hands of No. 2 Hope (Mich.) by a 63-48 score.
The 2012-13 women's basketball season was record breaking in numerous ways. The five seniors left a lasting legacy on the program that will make the 2012-13 season unforgettable.