2013-14 ORU Women's Basketball Media Guide by ORU Athletics

women’s tennis, and volleyball. Continuing its tradition of innovation, the league launched the Southland Conference Television Network in the fall of 2008 and has broadcast more than 160 events. The network has expanded its reach to roughly 13 million households throughout Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma in recent years, and has also gained national viewership through ESPN3 and Fox College Sports. In its first five years, the network has received recognition for its work, earning numerous College Sports Media and Telly Awards. The Southland Conference, in conjunction with the city of Frisco, Texas, and Hunt Sports Group, also serves as the host to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Game in Frisco, which has been home to the conference headquarters since 2006. The game is played at Frisco’s FC Dallas Stadium, and after a successful three-year run, the partnership was rewarded with a three-year renewal to serve as the national championship host site through the 2015 season. Men’s basketball has experienced a tremendous amount of success during the Southland’s 50 years. The league has sent four teams to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen, as well as a squad to the NIT Final Four. Basketball stars Karl Malone, Joe Dumars, Jeff Foster, Dwight “Bo” Lamar, Andrew Toney and Mike Oliver played in the Southland Conference. In 2006, Northwestern State, playing as the No. 14 seed in the NCAA tournament, defeated No. 3 seed Iowa, 64-63, in first-round action. The league also saw three of its current teams, including newcomer Oral Roberts, reach the postseason in 2012. Coaches such as Billy Tubbs, Mike Vining, Scotty Robertson, Jack Martin, Andy Russo, Bob Marlin, Danny Kaspar, Mike McConathy, Bobby Paschal and Pat Foster have led successful teams in the Southland. In women’s basketball, the Southland also has its share of tradition with former member Louisiana-Monroe advancing to the 1985 NCAA Women’s Final Four, and Stephen F. Austin sustaining itself as one of the most successful programs in the history of the sport. In 2008, the Ladyjacks became the eighth program in NCAA Division I history to record more than 800 wins. In each of the last four seasons, at least three Southland teams reached the postseason, and in 2012, four women’s squads earned postseason berths. A Southland team has played in the WNIT 13 times, including each of the last seven years. Women’s basketball all-stars have included Eun Jung Lee, Lisa

The Merrell Center in Katy, Texas, is the home of the Southland Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments

Ingram, Portia Hill, Deneen Parker, Katrina Price, and Joskeen Garner, and coaches such as Gary Blair, Linda Sharp, James Smith and Linda Harper. Baseball has emerged as a constant Southland Conference strength with the league earning numerous national rankings and NCAA tournament berths. The Southland consistently ranks among the top-10 conferences in the country. In 2011, 50 of the league’s 150 non-conference victories came against the Big 12, Conference USA, Sun Belt and SEC. Major leaguers such as Ben Sheets, Micah Hoffpauir, Hunter Pence, David Segui, Brian Lawrence, Ben Broussard, Chuck Finley, Jerald Clark, and Terry Matthews once played in the Southland. In 2012, Southeastern Louisiana’s Stefan Lopez became the league’s second winner of the national Stopper of the Year Award, which is selected by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers. Sam Houston State’s Luke Prihoda won the award in 2007. Only the Big 12 has had more players win this award. The Southland also fares well each year in the Major League Draft, but for the first time in conference history, two Southland players were selected in the first round of the 2013 draft. Stephen F. Austin shortstop Hunter Dozier was picked eighth by the Kansas City Royals making the Southland player and hitter of the year the league’s top draft pick in any sport. Later in the first round, the Texas Rangers selected Oral Roberts right-handed pitcher Alex Gonzalez, Southland pitcher of the year, with the 23rd overall pick. The Southland has had eight first-round picks in its history.

Bear Stadium in Conway, Ark., is the home of the 2014 Southland Conference Baseball Tournament