After an 11-month investigation into its women’s basketball program, Missouri Western State University concluded that former coaches probably provided three players with cash payments during and after their careers.

The alleged NCAA violations happened under head coach Josh Keister from 2005 to 2007 and amounted to at least $1,000, according to the 29-page report Western released Wednesday. Three sources, who wished to remain anonymous, told the News-Press the players involved were Inga Buzoka, Kala Sledge and Renata deAlmeida.

Kent Heier, the university’s assistant public relations director, presented Western’s findings and the resulting self-imposed penalties Wednesday.

Western placed itself on probation for two years, meaning simply that the women’s program will operate under heightened scrutiny and have to report to the NCAA. The university also will prohibit certain types of recruiting and financial aid during that period, though Mr. Heier wouldn’t elaborate on exactly what that meant. Current coach Lynn Plett said he didn’t know yet, either.

The program will lose a scholarship for the 2009-2010 season as well and vacate its wins from the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 campaigns — the years during which those players participated. Western based its penalties on precedent from similar cases and advice of outside counsel — Mike Glazier and Kyle Skillman, attorneys with the Collegiate Sports Practice Group in Overland Park, Kan., whom Western hired. University president Jim Scanlon ultimately decided on the penalties but wouldn’t elaborate beyond the press release and Mr. Heier’s statements.

Counsel advised Western officials not to comment further on the report until after the NCAA rules on the case, and Dan Nicoson and Beth Wheeler, who conducted the investigation, declined to comment and weren’t present at the press conference.

“We believe the violations did occur,” Mr. Heier said. “In the eyes of the university, it’s a serious violation.”

Western turned over its report to the NCAA and now will have to wait and see if its self-imposed penalties are enough. The NCAA either could accept Western’s findings and penalties and close the case or open its own investigation.

The MIAA won’t take any action in regard to the previous results, standings or Western’s 2006-2007 conference title until the NCAA reaches a conclusion, according to commissioner Jim Johnson.

“As of right now, we have received the report, and once the NCAA is done with it, the conference process will begin,” Mr. Johnson said. “Sometimes these things don’t move real fast in Indy. It could be two weeks or two years.”

Once Dr. Scanlon retires at the end of this month, the coaches, players, athletic director and president who were in place at the time of the violation will have moved on. Mr. Plett said he doesn’t think the self-imposed penalties will have a significant impact on his current team.

The additional scrutiny didn’t bother Mr. Plett, who was a compliance director at Lewis University, and he said the scholarship reduction wouldn’t have any effect on Western’s current roster or signees for next year.

“Hopefully, if we have the right kids, (the reduction) won’t be a negative,” he said.

Current athletic director Dave Williams, who accepted the position in March, feels he has the right people in place as well to prevent something like this from happening a second time.

“This university has great integrity. When there is an issue, we report it, research it and act on it,” Mr. Williams said. “Our current coaches have great integrity. I don’t suspect that any of this is going on with our current coaches in any way, shape or form.”

R.J. Cooper can be reached at rjcooper@npgco.com. Rick Dunaway can be reached at rickd@npgco.com