Jo Ann Osterkamp-Henderson

JO ANN OSTERKAMP-HENDERSON ('84) --- 1989 Inductee --- lettered four years in basketball. The first Xavier basketball player to break the 2,000-point barrier. Member of the 1,000 Point Club and the 2,000 Point Club. First women's basketball player to have her number retired.

Jo Ann Henderson, known by her maiden name of Jo Ann Osterkamp as a basketball star at Xavier, re-wrote the Xavier women's record book during her four-year career.

Osterkamp, who was named Third Team All-American after her junior year and First Team All-North Star Conference after her senior year, still sits in the top of six prominent Musketeer records: ranked third in points in a career (2,036), fourth in field goals made in a career (779), third most free throws made in a career (478), thirdmost field goals attempted in a career (1,465), second in free throw attempts in a career (593), and most consecutive games scoring in double figures (48). Osterkamp, an excellent shooter and the all-time leading scorer, pumped in 2,036 points in her Xavier career.

Consistency, the mark of a true star, is an understatement when describing Osterkamp's career. She put together a stretch at one point of 48 straight games scoring in double figures. The streak only came to an end when she badly twisted her ankle in a game at Detroit late in her senior year.

Osterkamp came back strong from the injury, collecting double figure point totals in five of XU's final six games. She drilled 11-12 field shots and 10-11 free throws en route to a 32-point effort in an 88-76 win at Akron.

Osterkamp was more than just a scorer, though, as shown by the fact that she dished out 242 assists during her career. She led the Musketeers to the 1981-82 AIAW State Title as a sophomore, earning distinction as the AIAW State Tournament MVP. She also averaged 21 points a game in the three regional games and was named First Team All-Region.

During Osterkamp's stay at Xavier, the Musketeers improved from 15-13 (freshman) to 20-14 (sophomore) to 13-13 (XU's first Division I season; her junior year). Osterkamp helped XU finish 10-16 in 1983-84 despite missing several games because of injury. The 1982 AIAW State Champions were the first 20-game winners in Xavier women's basketball history.

Believe it or not, though, Osterkamp almost didn't take up the sport. She was a soccer player at Cincinnati's Seton High School. Some of her friends encouraged her to go out for the freshman basketball team. She barely made the cut as a forward. She stuck with it, though, and when her coach switched her to guard she began to improve. That shaky start later turned into all-star high school and college careers.

All-American. All-North Star Conference. North Star Conference Player of the Week. A mention in "Faces in the Crowd" in Sports Illustrated. AIAW State Tournament MVP. First Team All-Region. Quite simply, Osterkamp was a star at Xavier. And a winner.

OSTERKAMP'S XAVIER CAREER STATS

Xavier Musketeers Athletics News

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