2012-13 ORU Women's Basketball Media Guide

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2012-13 ORU BASKETBALL

ORU EXPERIENCE

COACHES

2012-13 SQUAD

OPPONENTS

2011-12 REVIEW

HISTORY

HEAD COACH MISTI CUSSEN

MISTI CUSSEN HEAD COACH • 1ST SEASON • SOUTHERN NAZARENE ‘93 COACHING EXPERIENCE Assistant Coach • Southern Nazarene • 1996-1997 Assistant Coach • Oral Roberts • 1997-2012 Head Coach • Oral Roberts • 2012-Present A NEW ERA FOR ORU BASKETBALL On April 27, 2012, Long-time assistant coach Misti Cussen was named the 10th head women’s basketball coach in Oral Roberts University history. “I am very grateful to Mr. Carter and Dr. Rutland for this opportunity, and I can’t wait to begin this new chapter as the head coach at ORU,” said Cussen. “I love this University, and I am thrilled to continue coaching at a place where I have spent so many great years. I am also excited to continue working with such an outstanding group of young women, and I look forward to continued success in the future.”

tenure. Seven Golden Eagles have earned conference player of the year honors under Cussen, including three-time winners Ragan and Luper, and 25 of Cussen’s student-athletes have earned all-conference designations. In addition, Cussen has coached 49 conference players of the week, 12 conference all-newcomer team selections, five conference newcomers of the year, two conference defensive players of the year and one Naismith Trophy Watch List nominee.

Cussen has been on the ORU bench for the last 16 seasons as the top assistant coach, ranking as one of the nation’s longest-tenured assistant coaches at one school. She also served as the director of operations and the summer camp director. During Cussen’s tenure as an assistant coach, ORU experienced an unprecedented run of success on the court. The Golden Eagles won five Summit League Tournament titles and a pair of Summit League regular season titles during Cussen’s time as an assistant, and they made the program’s first five trips to the NCAA Tournament. Cussen also led ORU to three WNIT appearances as an assistant, including a pair of WNIT wins in 2011 over TCU and Tulane that were the program’s first postseason tournament victories in 28 years. ORU achieved 273 victories during Cussen’s time as an assistant coach, including five 20-win seasons. In 2011-12, the Golden Eagles posted their third consecutive 20-win season, a first for the program in nearly 30 years. Cussen has recruited and coached some of the finest players in ORU history during her time in Tulsa. All-American Kisa Bradley was part of Cussen’s first ORU team, in 1996, while Oklahoma natives Krista Binam and Kevi Luper have also earned All-American status during Cussen’s

Five NCAA Tournament Appearances

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