SEWANEE, Tenn. –
Olivia Falvey netted 24 points and nine rebounds and
Zoe Sedo added 12 points, helping Sewanee to an early lead the Tigers never relinquished in a 72-66 victory over Berry College in the quarterfinals of the SAA Women's Basketball Championships on Sunday in Mt. Berry, Ga.
Sewanee (12-14) claimed its first-ever win in the SAA Tournament and advances to the semifinals this Friday to face Centre College at 6 p.m. in Jackson, Miss.
The Tigers made 4-of-9 from 3-point range in the first quarter and jumped out to an 18-9 lead. Berry made it a three-point game early in the second period before a 9-2 spurt by Sewanee pushed the advantage to 31-21. Sedo netted a triple in the final 10 seconds of the quarter for a 34-25 Tigers lead at the break.
Falvey and Sedo hit back-to-back 3-pointers to start the second half and Falvey added another on the next possession, stretching the lead to 43-30 three minutes into the third period, the biggest advantage of the game for Sewanee. Berry answered with a 9-2 run to get within six with 2:39 left in the period before Falvey connected on another three.
The Tigers led by six headed to the fourth quarter and made it an 11-point advantage quickly thanks to a putback from
Cydney Wright and a triple by
Lilly Phillips. Kenadie Lee and Emma Hempker each connected on 3-pointers for the Vikings and Jayda Woods' layup made it a five-point game with five minutes to play.
Sedo made two huge plays for Sewanee in the next minute, knocking down a 3-pointer and then driving to the basket for a layup, pushing the advantage back to 10. Falvey made two free throws with two minutes to play and
Faith Humphrey posted two as well with 1:15 remaining for a 66-53 lead.
Lee connected on a 3-pointer from the corner and after a turnover in the backcourt by the Tigers, Sylvia Kahoro posted a long 2-pointer, cutting the Sewanee edge to 66-60 with 48.8 seconds to play.
Phillips made 1-of-2 for the Tigers at the foul line before Kahoro missed a shot and Lee stepped out of bounds chasing down the rebound.
Hannah Cleveland then netted 1-of-2 free throws with 35.6 seconds remaining for a 68-60 advantage.
The teams traded free throws, with
Kayla Northrup hitting two for Sewanee with 24.2 ticks on the clock, and Lee drove for a layup with 16.6 seconds to play. Falvey and Sedo each connected on 1-of-2 at the foul line in the last 15 seconds, securing the win for the visitors.
Wright posted only six points but grabbed nine boards and Cleveland finished with nine points and eight rebounds. Sewanee connected on 12-of-28 from 3-point range in the win, including 5-of-7 for Falvey and 3-for-6 from Sedo.
Lee led the Vikings with 19 points, Briaiah Lewis collected 15 and Elly Callihan registered 12 points and eight boards.
Cleveland made a layup and two free throws and Falvey recorded a 3-pointer in the first three-plus minutes of the game for a 7-3 lead. Humphrey added a three and Falvey collected a layup for a 12-8 edge midway through the opening period.
Falvey and Humphrey each made triples later in the quarter and the Tigers led, 18-9, before baskets by Callihan and Lee pulled the Vikings within 18-13 at the end of 10 minutes.
Cleveland and Northrup each netted baskets early in the second period and Cleveland added two free throws before a layup by Wright midway through the quarter.
Brianna Keating-Rendon got into the 3-point party for the Tigers at the three-minute mark and Falvey's two foul shots with 2:25 left in the half put Sewanee in front, 30-20.
Callihan collected a basket and two free throws for Berry, but Sedo registered a 3-pointer in the last 10 seconds for a 34-25 Tigers advantage at the half. Sewanee made 6-of-15 from behind the arc in the first 20 minutes.
Falvey and Sedo hit back-to-back 3-pointers to start the second half and Falvey added another on the next possession, stretching the lead to 43-30 three minutes into the third period. Lewis netted the next nine points for the Vikings, including an old-fashioned 3-point play, but Wright made a layup at the five-minute mark and Falvey drilled another three with 2:26 remaining in the quarter.
Lewis' basket in the final minute of the period pulled Berry within, 50-44, headed to the final 10 minutes.
