By Tim Rath

The Oakland University women’s

basketball team will once again begin the Summit League Tournament looking down

on their opposition.

Monday’s victory at Southern Utah

capped a five-game winning streak to close the season, and clinched the number

one seed for the Golden Grizzlies.

This marks the second straight season

in which OU will go into the tournament ranked first. The reward for their

effort is a date with Centenary on Saturday.

The Grizzlies defeated Centenary in

each of their two meetings this season by a combined total of 67 points.

However, despite the dominating fashion of both victories, it would be unwise

to assume that OU will underestimate the Ladies.

“With the way that we practice, hustle

becomes a habit,” said head coach Beckie Francis after the first game between

the two, a 93-43 drubbing on Jan. 14. “We’re diving around, rolling, getting

rug burns. Our players take pride in getting every loose ball.”

The Grizzlies’ focus will likely be

placed on Centenary’s starting forwards, freshmen Ashley Jackson and Anne

Farrell.

Standing 6-foot-2 inches, Farrell led

the Ladies in scoring and rebounding on the season, averaging 11.6 points and

7.1 boards per game. In the second game between Oakland and Centenary, a 72-55

Grizzlies victory on Feb. 9, she controlled the paint with 12 rebounds and 10

points.

Jackson comprises the second piece of

Centenary’s potentially troublesome frontcourt. At 5-11, she averaged 9.9

points and 5.2 rebounds per game for the Ladies.

Together with 6-foot-three inch

sophomore center Leslie Forest, the Ladies will literally stand

head-and-shoulders above the Grizzlies’ smaller frontcourt. However, despite

their disadvantage in height, the Grizzlies won the rebounding margin by a

combined total of 79-61 in their two meetings.

Oakland’s number-one seed comes in

part thanks to the absence of North Dakota State and South Dakota State. While

their respective records of 17-11 and 23-6 were enough to qualify, both teams

are in their first year of Division I play, which disqualifies them from

tournament play.

Oakland’s first-round

match up against Centenary tips off at 1 p.m. on Saturday from the John Q.

Hammonds Arena at the UMAC in Tulsa, Okla.