Box Score SEWANEE, Tenn. –
Hannah Cleveland netted 18 points,
Olivia Falvey posted a double-double and
Faith Humphrey added 16 points, but Centre took the lead late in the third quarter and held off Sewanee, 82-75, in the semifinals of the SAA Women's Basketball Championships on Friday night in Jackson, Miss.
The Tigers (12-15) led 20-12 at the end of one quarter and 34-30 at halftime before the Colonels put together a 10-2 spurt to take the lead for good. Sewanee tied the game at 42 midway through the period and trailed just 58-55 headed to the final quarter.
The Centre (20-7) advantage stayed between four and six points before baskets by Falvey and
Cydney Wright pulled the Tigers within, 63-61, with 4:20 remaining. The Colonels netted seven of the next eight points over a two-minute stretch, pushing the lead to 70-62. Sewanee only got closer than six points in the final seconds after a Falvey 3-pointer.
Centre connected on all 10 free throws attempts in the final 90 seconds, holding off any comeback attempt by the Tigers. Sewanee made only 2-of-12 from 3-point range and 21-for-30 from the foul line compared to 22-of-25 from the charity stripe for the Colonels.
Falvey finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds while
Zoe Sedo netted 10 points and
Cydney Wright collected 11. Lilly Reid led the Colonels with 23 points, Bailey Rucket recorded 17, and KaNiah Edelen and Ryleigh Campbell each posted 13.
The Tigers led 5-0 early thanks to a layup by Humphrey and an old-fashioned 3-point play from Sedo. Cleveland's layup and another basket by Sedo made it 9-6 Tigers midway through the opening period.
Kayla Northrup made a 3-pointer and Wright added a field goal before a layup by Falvey pushed the lead to 16-10. Humphrey registered two more buckets for a 20-12 advantage after 10 minutes.
Two free throws by Wright and a layup from Northrup put Sewanee in front, 24-15, before two foul shots by Rucker and a 3-pointer from Campbell pulled the Colonels within, 24-20.
Cleveland collected a layup but two baskets from Campbell knotted the game at 26. The Tigers scored eight of the last 12 points of the period, though, starting with four free throws by Cleveland, followed by two from Humphrey and then two more by Cleveland for a 34-30 halftime edge.
Cleveland recorded two more field goals to open the second half, but two baskets apiece by Campbell and Reid and two foul shots by Rucker put Centre ahead, 40-39. Trinity Armour added two free throws for the Colonels before Cleveland scored again.
Reid and Armour each connected on layups for a four-point Centre advantage, but Cleveland countered with two free throws and Sedo added a layup. Falvey's basket underneath on a nice pass from Sedo pulled the Tigers within two, but Reid scored twice more and Rucker netted a field goal as well.
Humphrey posted an old-fashioned 3-point play near the end of the period before Edelen bulled her way to the basket for two points and a 58-53 Centre lead. Falvey scored just before the end of the period and Sewanee trailed, 58-55, headed to the fourth quarter.
