Ottawa earned its 10th straight victory with a 26-21 win over Keiser University on Friday afternoon in the NAIA Invitational National Championship.
In the win, OU had a 25:03 to 22:57 advantage in time of possession. The Braves rushed for 92 yards and threw for 209. Keiser had 260 yards through the air and 12 yards rushing.
Madysen Carrera rushed for 57 yards and one touchdown.
Addison Orsborn rushed for 35 yards and one touchdown. Carrera went 22-for-30 through the air for 209 yards and two touchdowns. Orsborn led OU with six receptions for 38 yards.
Alyssa Linkous and
Jazlyn Camacho had one touchdown apiece. Camacho led OU with 54 yards and Linkous finished with 53.
Bailey Hodgins had four receptions for 38 yards.
Abby Brown led OU with 11 tackles. She also had one pass break up.
Randrea Gamble and
Nina GraveDePeralta had three tackles apiece. GraveDePeralta had one pass break up.
This is the second straight season that OU is playing in the national championship game. OU defeated Keiser 7-6 last season, avenging a 26-25 loss to the Seahawks earlier in the season. Ottawa is looking for a repeat. Thomas defeated OU 19-7 on March 16.
In the loss to Thomas earlier this season, OU rushed for 35 yards and passed for 201 to finish with 236 yards of offense. Thomas finished the game with 205 yards of offense, 196 yards through the air and nine yards rushing.
Madysen Carrera went 31-for-43 through the air for 201 yards and one touchdown. She led OU with 26 yards rushing.
Clara Beaudoin had 10 receptions for 54 yards and one touchdown.
Nigh Hawk quarterback, Shelby Hartley threw for 192 yards (21-for-30) and three touchdowns. Brittney Delva led TU with eight receptions for 106 yards and three touchdowns.
Ottawa is outscoring opponents 35 to 10.6 points per game. The Braves are averaging 233.3 yards of offense per game while holding opponents to 171.7 yards. Opponents are completing 26.9 percent of their third down conversions and 30.3 percent of their fourth down conversions against the OU defense. The Braves offense completes 50 percent of their fourth downs and 48.4 percent of their third down attempts.
Madysen Carrera leads OU in rushing with 836 yards. She has scored 18 rushing touchdowns and averages 52.2 yards rushing per game. Carrera has thrown for 3,341 yards and 50 touchdowns. She is completing 71.9 percent of her passes (323-for-449) and averages 208.8 yards passing per game.
Clara Beaudoin is OU's leader in receptions with 70. She has 560 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.
Addison Orsborn and
Jazlyn Camacho both have 67 receptions. Camacho has 14 touchdowns and 787 receiving yards. Orsborn has 628 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
Alyssa Linkous is right behind them with 66 receptions. She leads OU in receiving yards with 999 and has a team high 16 receiving touchdowns.
Abby Brown leads the team in tackles with 93. She has two sacks, six interceptions, and 18 pass break ups. Hanna Serquina leads OU in sacks with 14. She has 53 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and five pass break ups.
Alyssa Gillespie has 53 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, seven sacks, one interception, and 10 pass break ups.
Thomas University is 18-1 overall and on a 16 game winning streak. The Night Hawks last loss came on Feb. 26 against St. Thomas University, 7-6 in overtime. Thomas won the Sun Conference regular season and the tournament championship.
Nigh Hawk Kiana Acol was named Sun Conference Offensive Player of the Year. She accounted for over 800 yards of offense in the regular season playing quarterback, running back, and receiver. Janae Scott was named Sun Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Entering the national tournament, she had 71 tackles, three interceptions, and two pick sixes. First Team Sun Conference: Brittany Delva (WR), Janae Scott (LB).
Thomas opened pool play with a 74-0 victory over Milligan University and a 26-6 win over Webber International University on May 12. In the tournament semifinals, the Night Hawks defeated Webber International once more, 33-0, to move on to the championship game against the Braves.
