By Samantha Franz
GoldenGrizzlies.com Contributor

As any student-athlete can attest to, your teammates really do become your family. From the countless hours of play to the shared experiences of victory and defeat, sports have the amazing ability to create life-long bonds. Regardless of where life takes you after graduation, there is a piece of you that always belongs with your teammates.

The 1989-90 women's basketball squad was so much more than a team. It was a 12-man family that defied the odds, thanks to a seamless combination of talent and chemistry that took a college relatively unknown outside of Michigan to the big stage of the Final Four.

Head Coach Bob Taylor knew he had a special group and realized that the secret to keeping his team successful throughout the entire season was to make sure the passion never wavered.

"What separated Coach Taylor from most college coaches was his ability to keep his players fresh," said team captain Ann (Serra) Lowney (1988-90). "There was never a summer program we had to follow; he told each of us to do what we felt we needed to do in the summer to become a better player. Because he trusted us, none of us wanted to let him down."

Taylor also mixed up his team's schedule with practice, open gyms, aerobic workouts and off days to make sure his team never burned out. The results paid off.

"We all loved the game so much that when it was game time, we were eager to take the floor," said Lowney. "On the other hand, most of our opponents who practiced six days a week for two-plus hours a day would get worn out as the season progressed."

Coach Taylor was also a keen strategist and his insight always kept his players on their toes.

"He was extremely knowledgeable about the game," said Jennifer (Golen) Dempster (1990-92). "He knew the X's and O's and always had us well-prepared going into the next game.

Under Taylor's leadership, the Pioneers' fire burned brightly throughout the entire season. Despite a roster with three players sidelined with knee injuries, the Pioneers took the GLIAC regular season crown with a 14-2 record. They then defeated Hillsdale College 106-71 in the conference tournament championship game and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the second consecutive year.

After defeating IPFW 87-83, the Pioneers faced a familiar foe in the second round: St. Joseph's (Ind.), who in the previous season, had defeated Oakland at home and knocked them out of the tournament.

The Pioneers made sure history did not repeat itself and in a hard-fought battle, defeated St. Joseph's 89-86. With that hurdle cleared, the Pioneers found themselves in uncharted territory and they hit the road for their biggest trial yet: a Central Missouri State team that was riding a 55-0 winning streak at home.

"We were certainly hopeful and determined, but we knew we faced an enormous challenge," said Dawn Lichty (1987-90). "Our attitude was definitely the Cinderella team mentality - `we have nothing to lose' and `no one expects us to win' ran through our heads often."

But the Pioneers played like a team expected to win and in front of several thousand fans, Oakland snapped Central Missouri State's winning streak with a 66-61 victory and earned themselves a bid to the Final Four.

It was after the Pioneers arrived in California that the title of "Cinderella team" was brought up during a press conference.

"We sure didn't mind the label," said Lichty. "We were thrilled to be making an appearance in the Final Four and there was no reason not to believe that we could pull off another upset."

The Pioneers then faced Bentley and fought blow-for-blow the entire game until the final possession. Oakland came up just short in the final seconds by a score of 72-68.

"When it was all said and done, we were delighted to have represented Oakland University, our coaching staff and our teammates well," said Lichty. "Our team had definitely experienced some struggle that season, but the dream of doing something that few teams get to do was strong. If the dream is big enough, the facts don't matter and we sort proved that true."

It was definitely a magical year for the Pioneers and those that played for that team will forever carry the 1989-90 season with them.

"The chemistry [with that team] was unbelievable," said Dempster, who transferred to Oakland and was a starter for the Final Four team during her first year of eligibility. "I really stepped into something pretty special over there. I was very grateful that they were so welcoming."

Oakland University is so more than just a college for these women. To them, this is a community where opportunities were given, friendships forged, spouses met, and children raised.

Simply put, Oakland is home and whether they are godparents to each other's kids or haven't spoken in years, the 1990 Final Four team will always be family.

"Twenty-five years ago, we knew we could count on each other and we showed that day in and day out during the season," said Lowney. "Today, if one of us needed something, everyone knows we are just a phone call away and we'll be there for each other."

#WEARtheBEAR