NAIA TOURNAMENT NOTEBOOK:

JACKSON, Tenn. — After 10 trips to the NAIA Division I Tournament, including three berths in the Fab Four, Vanguard University women’s basketball coach Russ Davis appeared calmly content with his first national championship net draped around his neck Tuesday.

And while he had plenty of praise for the team that defeated Trevecca Nazarene, 72-59, in the title game before 1,764 at Oman Arena, he said his thoughts drifted beyond this year, to the very beginning.

“The very first thing I thought about was my first team [1996-97 at Vanguard] and some of those players, some of whom called me [Tuesday before the final],” Davis said. “They all got together to watch the game [on television]. Those girls were 10-20 and I told them we had to work harder. They never fought it, they just bought into it.

“I thought about them and I thought about last year’s seniors, who dominated everybody [until a NAIA Tournament semifinal loss ended their season at 31-1] and who have been a big part of this. That team helped mold this team.

“So you go back in your mind and you think of all the players. That’s why I keep saying that I’m really happy for everybody, because everybody pitched in. The Vanguard family is ours, and yet it’s everybody’s and that’s what I’m really proud of.

Everybody can say, ‘Hey, I played basketball for Vanguard University and we’re national champions.”

SENIORS WERE THE GLUE

Although Davis was quick to credit the contributions of juniors Lauren Gregory (first-team all-tournament), starting freshman guards Sarah Boyd and Paige Halberg, as well as junior reserve Bridgette Reyes and freshmen backups Molly Pfohl and Kelsey Carlson, it’s seniors Jessica Richter, Melissa Cook and Lindsey Rinke who made this team go.

The trio began its commitment to this season in August, when they met in Florida for a week of training.

“I told [Richter’s] mom after the game tonight that it all started back in Florida,” Cook said. “You know, it’s really cool to see how far we’ve come. I want to give God all the glory. Without him, we wouldn’t be here.”

Reyes, who scored 14 points off the bench Tuesday, said the seniors’ presence this season took pressure off the other six newcomers, none of whom had worn a Vanguard uniform before.

“I was definitely nervous [during the NAIA Tournament], but I knew our seniors would carry us,” Reyes said. “So it wasn’t as big a deal and for those of us who had roles coming off the bench. The seniors were amazing.”

THE RICHTER SCALE

Richter, a two-time Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Year who was NAIA National Player of the Year last season and was a three-time All-American, finished her career with 2,007 points, which ranks second in Vanguard annals. Only Kelly Schmidt, a first-year assistant this season, scored more (2,639 from 2003-07).

Richter, who played only three seasons at Vanguard after transferring from Syracuse, had 224 three-point field goals in her NAIA career, also No. 2 in the Vanguard record book, behind only Lacey Burns (338).

Richter, named MVP of the tournament, averaged 16.4 points and 6.6 rebounds in five tournament games and shot 48.4% from the field (30 of 62) against tournament foes. She had 17 steals and committed just 11 turnovers and averaged 34.6 minutes per contest.

“I would never want her to be on the opposite team,” Cook said of Richter. “She’s the most competitive person and I know and every game and every practice, she gave 100%.”

COOK’S FINAL RECIPE

Cook’s star-crossed career, in which two separate knee injuries forced her to miss the NAIA Division I Tournament as a freshman and a junior, wrapped up Tuesday night with distinction.

The versatile 6-foot, first-team All-Golden State Athletic Conference standout averaged a team-best 17.6 points and 8.8 rebounds in five tournament games on her way to making second-team all-tournament. The second-team designation stumped Davis and others who saw all of Vanguard’s tournament games.

For the season, she averaged 16 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.7 steals.

For her career, she scored 1,310 points and 694 rebounds.

“Melissa is the [tournament] MVP,” Richter said. “I don’t know why I got that. There’s no way we would have won without her. I’m glad she’s on our team and I don’t have to worry about guarding her or stopping her. She has been incredible and I know she has been waiting to do that for three years, so I’m glad she’s just been injury free this season.

RINKE WILL REMEMBER

Along with Richter and Cook, Rinke played the final game of her collegiate career Tuesday.

Though a reserve for most of the season, she started two games and averaged 8.7 points and 4.1 rebounds with 40 three-point field goals this season.

“Some games she had two points, some games, she had 20,” Davis said. “But what she always had was effort. And she’s basically been the team mom of our team. We have four freshmen who play, out of our nine players, and she has basically taken them under her wing.

“Her stats may not show much, but what she has meant to this team is absolutely incredible. I’m really proud of her for that.

“She came off the bench. She could have definitely started for us, but I want her to have that same kind of leadership role and energy that [Cook] had for us last year.”

Rinke said she embraced her role as tri-captain, along with Cook and Richter, and was gratified by the progress the team made this season, after losing four starters from last season’s 31-1 squad.

“This team got together everyone just kind of stepped up and played their roles,” Rinke said. “It has been kind of fun to watch and fun to play in, too.”

Asked about what she would remember about her career, Rinke focused on the good times.

“It has been a blast,” she said. “Me and Melissa have been here for four years and Jess for three, but just the team in general, has been such a blessing in my life. I mean, yeah, it has been fun winning. But, looking back, I’m going to remember the relationships the most; just the fun times. We bleed and we sweat for this team, for each other. It has just been great. They are going to be my lifelong friends. That’s going to be one of the things I look back on and it will be great to remember.

“It was great to step up and be a mentor this year to some of the younger girls. The past three years, I’ve always kind of been the younger one, a role player. This year, I’ve accepted the role of captain and it was fun to be able to take that challenge.

“I’m going to look back at the great memories of the girls. And I’m a Vanguard alum, you know, so I’m going to be back here watching [next year].”

VANGUARD POWER SURGING

With five more victories at the NAIA Division I Tournament this season, Vanguard is now 19-9 in 10 tournament appearances. The 19 wins rank behind only six schools. And the Lions’ winning percentage (.679) in NAIA Tournament competition has been bettered by only five schools with at least five appearances.

CRASHING THE PARTY

With Vanguard becoming the first California school to not only compete in the final, but win the national championship, it ended a string of 14 straight seasons in which the NAIA Division I crown went to a school from Oklahoma (10) or Tennessee (four).

LOSSES AND GAINS

Both Vanguard and Trevecca Nazarene had at least as many losses this season as they did the previous two, but this was the first time either school had made the NAIA Division I championship game.

Vanguard finished 29-5 this season after going 31-1 and 31-2 the previous two seasons.

Trevecca Nazarene finished 23-12 this season after going 27-7 last season and 31-5 the year before.

TOURNAMENT TIME

Vanguard put together five solid performances on its way to the national crown.

The Lions outscored their tournament prey, 72.4 to 63.2, outrebounded foes, 34.6 to 27.4, won the turnover battle, 106-70, more than doubled their opponents in steals, 55-26, and shot 56 more free throws to outscore foes, 75-36, from the foul line.

Vanguard was whistled for 67 fouls, while their opponents committed 96.

Tuesday marked the second straight game the Lions had a better three-point shooting percentage than overall shooting percentage. For the tournament, they shot 42.7% from the field and 37.6% on three-pointers.

Surprisingly, Vanguard opponents shot .43.7% from the field, but just 31.7% from three-point range.

DEFENSIVE ADJUSTMENT

Though the 2,214 points it gave up this season were the most by a Davis-coached Vanguard squad, Davis said the team’s ability to play strong defense in the tournament may have been the single biggest change in his team from the regular season and Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament.

“I really think we played our best defense in these five games,” Davis said.

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at barry.faulkner@latimes.com.