Former Wyoming Star Leads New Team to NJCAA Tournament

LARAMIE -- Jason Straight is coming back to the Cowboy State.

The former standout point guard on the University of Wyoming basketball team from 2001-05, and now the Assistant Director of Athletics at Olive-Harvey College, is overseeing his Lady Panthers as they make their first ever appearance in the NJCAA DI Women's Basketball Tournament March 25-31 inside Casper's Ford Wyoming Center.

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No. 23 OHC capped its season with a record of 33-1, claiming its first Region 4 and North-Central District title this winter. Standing in the way in Round 1 is the No. 10 seed Eastern Arizona Gila Monsters.

Tipoff is set for Wednesday, March 26 at noon.

The sharp-shooters from Chicago are in search of a Cinderella run.

Straight knows all about that.

During his freshman season in Laramie, a veteran-laden Wyoming team, led by a feisty head coach in Steve McClain, capped a 20-7 regular season with an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, the program's first trip to the Big Dance since 1988.

That team wasn't satisfied with the invite. Still, a daunting task lie ahead in the sixth-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Straight netted six points that afternoon in Albuquerque and dished out a game-high seven assists, facilitating the other four starters -- Marcus Bailey, Josh Davis, Uche Nsonwu-Amadi and Donta Richardson -- who all reached double figures in the 73-66 upset.

It was the school's first tournament victory in 15 years.

"We're not Cinderella," McClain said postgame. "We came here with a purpose. We expected to win. This is a game that sells recruits on coming to Wyoming. It sends a message that we did deserve to be here. We deserved to be in the same arena with Gonzaga and teams like that.

"I know some people questioned whether we even belonged in the Tournament."

The Cowboys would fall to No. 3 seed Arizona two days later, dropping a 68-60 decision inside The Pit.

Still, for one day, that glass slipper doubled as a cowboy boot.

Straight averaged 9.2 points per outing that season. He started 28-of-31 games. By the time his senior campaign rolled around, the Chicago product was pouring in 18 a night to go along with 5.3 rebounds.

He went on to play overseas, making stops in Israel, Ukraine, France, Germany and Poland, among other places, during his seven-year pro basketball career.

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