ACCA National Champs - Champion’s Lady Tigers won their first ever ACCA National Tournament Championship this season with Rebecca Farmer named to the MVP of the tournament, Nay Manning and Destiny Gonzalez honored again as 1st Team ACCA All-Americans, with Rebecca Farmer honored to 2nd team, and Elisa Gonzalez selected to Honorable Mention.

The ACCA, also known as the American Christian College Association of Athletes is a national invitational tournament (NIT) where top Christian affiliated teams from all over the country are invited to come compete to call themselves real National Champs. This season it was hosted in Joplin, MO at Ozark Christian College. In this tournament, Champion came in off a first ever Regional Tournament Win (securing their 1st Seed spot for the NCCAA DII National Tournament) and a mindset of redemption. Since the program started just 2 years ago, the Lady Tigers have won ACCA runner-up both 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. For this 2021-22 season, the CCC Lady Tigers were to change that.

Coming in again as the 2nd seed, CCC first took on Free Lutheran Bible College. Champion started early, hitting FLBC in the mouth in the 1st quarter 28-8. Besides a few missing this tournament due to injuries, all able to play Lady Tigers each played over 12 mins and contributed to the first win 80-35. Rebecca Farmer led with 23 points 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Destiny Gonzalez added 19 points, 8 rebounds and 2 steals. Both Jaylen Edmonson and T'Kira Fuller gave 9 points with T'Kira shy 1 point of a double-double with 13 rebounds.

Coming off a strong 1st round win, the Lady Tigers came into a hard fought battle with the tough Lady Centurions of Carolina Christian College out of North Carolina. With Carolina Christian only losing 3 games the entire season, the Lady Tigers had to come ready to play. Within the game, the scored tied 3 times and the lead changed 10 times. 1st quarter Carolina led 21-11. 2nd quarter Carolina led 23-22. After half-time the Lady Tigers decided to put their foot on the gas and came out on top of the third 24 to 10 leading the game 57 to 45. The 4th quarter was a dog fight as both teams scored 20 in the quarter, giving Champion the game 77-65 and earning their spot in the championship game. Destiny Gonzalez hit a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds, Imani Honey chimed in with 14 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Nay Manning came to play with 11 points, 6 assists, and 6 steals. Rebecca Farmer added 10 points. Both Jurnee Hicks and Justys Irish-Holmes added 8 points.

Ready for the ACCA Championship Game hosted at OCC, the Lady Tigers entered another rematch vs the Lady Ambassadors of Ozark Christian College who made it to the final round as well.  With Ozark having home court advantage, revenge on their plate, and Ozark students, friends, family, and fans packed out in the audience- all odds seemed to be in favor of OCC taking the ACCA National Champ title.

The ACCA Championship game was a game that had everyone out of their seats and going crazy. To start the game, within the first minute of the 1st quarter Champion went on a 10-0 run. The Lady Tigers finished the 1st quarter 22-14 against OCC who quickly returned that same energy and outscored the Lady Tigers in the 2nd quarter 21-11. Leaving the half time score 35-33 Lady Ambassadors. Both teams were really putting up a fight with crazy buckets and tough defense.

At half Ozark went 48% (13-27) from the field and 45% (5-11) from the 3-PT line while Champion only went 32% (11-34) from the field and 27% (4-15) from the 3-PT line. The charity stripe kept the CCC Tigers alive as they went 100% (7-7) compared to OCC who shot about 67% (4-6). Continuing into the 2nd half, the Lady Tigers kept trying to put up a fight going 4-4 from the FT, 5-15 from the field at 33%, and 0-5 from the 3-PT. Only scoring 14 points in the 3rd, Champion had to lock down on defense with a tough 3rd quarter, holding Ozark to only 18 points. In the 4th quarter, Champion Lady Tigers were able to foul out two of Ozark's starters: Peyton Miller, a lock down defender and Kamryn Gentry, an unguardable beast in post who averages a double-double and led Ozark this game with 14 points and 22 rebounds. When the buzzer of the 4th quarter went off, both CCC and OCC had 28 points in the paint, 11 2nd chance points, 6 fast break points and the scored tied. The teams went into overtime.

By the end of OT, rebounds, defense and free-throws were the deciding factors of the game. With Ozark having 26 bench points compared to Champion's 16 bench points and their 47 total rebounds compared to our 45, Champion pulled out the W going 29-34 at 85% from the FT compared to Ozark going 14-20 from the FT at 70%. Intense but smart defense from the Lady Tigers kept OCC from going to the FT line as much and caused OCC 21 turnovers where Champion capitalized 14 points off the turnovers. Even with fouling out, Rebecca Farmer led Champion Lady Tigers to their FIRST EVER ACCA National Championship title with 20 points, 2 steals, and 3 rebounds. Imani Honey added 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals. Elisa Gonzalez chimed in with 12 points and both Justys Irish-Holmes and Nay Manning added 9 points and 8 rebounds each.

LET'S GO LADY TIGERS!! 2 DOWN and 1 TO GO!

#WE>me #ringszn #goinggold #femaleshooptoo #NattyChamps