Jills win! Jills win! Jills win!
Northland poses immediately after winning the postseason champinship.
That became a common theme this season as it could be used for the final week of the season when a home conference sweep for the Jills secured a conference championship and the top seed in the tournament. Or it could be used for the final game of the season in which Northland won the conference tournament championship. Finally, it could be used for the last 10 games of the season when everything came together for Northland as the finished on a 10 game winning streak, and had a final record of 19-8, the most wins ever for Northland as an NCAA DIII member.
The Northland Women's Basketball team has now established themselves as one of the top programs in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference. They boast a 32-10 record, the best among the eight conference teams over the last three years, finished in second place twice, each time just one game out of first place, and this year won the conference championship and the postseason tournament.
Coach Roiger won the 2008-09 UMAC Coach of the Year award.
It was a year that started with a tough non-conference schedule that saw the Jills go 2-5 to begin the season. Coming home from a Thanksgiving trip to California where they won their final game, they ran off three more wins to go into Christmas break with a four-game winning streak. The final win in that stretch was a 54-33 victory over Northwestern College, who, along with the Jills, was the pre-season pick to win the UMAC title.
Northland had one more hurdle to overcome though. They lost two of three games to start 2009, dropping them to 3-2 in the conference. The final loss was a frustrating and embarrassing loss where the Jills gave up an eight point halftime lead and missed a ton of easy shots, getting outscored 45-19 in the second half. The team must have had done some soul-searching after that, because they never lost another conference game, finishing out with a nine game winning streak in conference play.
Northland got things started on the road, winning games against Bethany Lutheran and Martin Luther. Returning home, they beast St. Scholastica to improve to 6-2, and then beat Presentation only to face UM-Morris, who came in with a perfect 9-0 mark. Northland held the Cougars scoreless for the final 5 plus minutes to give them their first defeat and get to within a game of first place. Their next game was the biggest game of the year, as the Jills traveled to Northwestern, the defending conference and tournament champion who came in at 7-3, just one game behind the Jills.
A lot was riding on that game. The winner would most likely end up in either first or second, and earn a bye in the six-team playoffs. The loser would most likely end up in third place and have to win three games to win the tournament. In what Coach Roiger called their 'biggest and best game of the regular season', Northland pulled out a 71-61 hard fought victory; a game that pitted two good teams that both played well, but Northland played just a little better. A win over Crown and a UM-Morris loss tied the Jills for first place with one week to go!
Northland then had to play two motivated teams the following weekend. They defeated Martin Luther who was playing for a home playoff game, then beat Bethany Lutheran who would make the playoffs if they won but end their season if they loss. Northland battled neck and neck and pulled both games out in the last few minutes. Combined with a Northwestern victory over UM-Morris, Northland secured the conference championship and the top seed heading into the playoffs!
The Jills dominated in the postseason tournament. They manhandled Martin Luther, opening up a 32 point lead in the second half and coasting to a 64-40 win behind a great defensive effort. Meanwhile, Northwestern, who did finish in third place, defeated the second seeded UM-Morris Cougars to earn their way to a championship game in Ashland to face the Jills. It was a repeat of the previous year's championship, only this time the Jills would host the game.
The championship was close in the first half as the Jills held a slim 25-24 advantage at the break. However, the second half was all Northland, as they opened up an 18 point lead with eight minutes to play and still held a 50-32 lead with 2:18 to go. A late run by Northwestern narrowed the gap, but the Jills won 57-45 to clinch their first postseason championship since 2004. And the Northland players soaked up the joy and excitement with fans and family on their home court!
It was a magical season for the Jills, and fun to see their commitment, great work ethic, passion for the game, and great team chemistry pay off with two championships. The rewards of course followed. Lindsey Hamm, a junior from Ontonagon, MI, was named the UMAC Player of the Year and also the postseason tournament MVP. Chelsea Lundgren, a junior from Crosby, MN, was named to the All-Conference team for the third straight time, joining Hamm. And finally, Coach Roiger was named the Conference Coach of the Year, the second time in three seasons he has earned the award.
And the future continues to shine for the Jills. In the final half of the season, Northland started two juniors and three freshmen, and rode that lineup to a 12-1 record. The Jills will bring in six players for 2009-10, several of which are expected to contribute and help replace the loss of seniors Jessica Graham and Anna Lembcke. Hopes run high, expectations too, and the Jills hope to continue to be one of the top teams in the UMAC!