VU’s Richter, Davis, Cook earn top NAIA honors

Vanguard University senior Jessica Richter, who led the Lions to their first NAIA Division I championship, has been named first-team All-American by NAIA coaches.

Richter, a 5-foot-10 guard, averaged 19.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 2.1 assists for the Lions (29-5), who defeated Trevecca Nazarene of Tennessee, 72-59, in the title game Tuesday at Jackson, Tenn. It was the Lions’ first national championship in any sport.

Vanguard senior Melissa Cook was named to the second team and Lions head man Russ Davis, was named Coach of the Year.

Richter, the NAIA Player of the Year as a junior, was a three-time first-team All-American. The two-time Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Year, was also named to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Assn. All-American team in each of her three seasons after transferring from Syracuse.

Richter was named MVP of the NAIA Tournament.

Cook, a 6-0 forward-guard, averaged a team-best 17.6 points per game in the five-game NAIA Tournament, where she was named second-team all-tournament. She averaged 15.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.7 steals for the season. She was also named to the All-GSAC team, after helping the Lions to a second-place finish.

Davis, in his 12th season, helped the Lions become the first team from California to claim the NAIA title.

The Lions finished the season ranked No. 4 in the Division I poll, but upset top-ranked Union of Tennessee, 74-72, in the tournament semifinals to end the Bulldogs’ season at 35-1.

Davis, a former girls’ coach at Estancia and Woodbridge high schools, who coached his 400th game at Vanguard in Tuesday’s final, is 318-82 in his career. He has a career winning percentage of .795.

In addition to the victories over Trevecca Nazarene and Union, Vanguard also defeated Cumberlands, Lambuth and Carroll.

This season’s NAIA Player of the Year award went to Union junior Josephine Owino, a 6-foot-4 center.

— Barry Faulkner