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WCU women capture Southern Conference championship
By Carey Phillips
Jennifer Gardner scored 45 points Saturday leading Western Carolina to a 97-95 double overtime victory over Georgia Southern in the finals of the Southern Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament at Chattanooga, Tenn.
The win sends the Lady Cats (18-13) to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the program’s history.
Tournament pairings will be announced at 5 p.m. Sunday, March 13, on ESPN.
Western Carolina’s women’s basketball team celebrates with the Southern Conference trophy after Saturday’s 97-95 double overtime victory over Georgia Southern in the finals of the Southern Conference Tournament at Chattanooga, Tenn. The Lady Cats will learn their destination in the first round of the NCAA Tournament during Sunday’s selection show at 5 p.m. on ESPN. The public is invited to share the pre-show excitement during a 4 pm. party on the third floor at Western’s Hinds University Center. – WCU photo by Mark Haskett
Western figures to be a 15th or 16th seed and play a first or second seed in the tourney’s first round. Possible opponents include North Carolina and Tennessee.
A selection show party will start at 4 p.m. Sunday on the third floor of Hinds University Center. Coach Kellie Harper and her players will be on hand to watch the selection show. A tape of the tournament championship game will be shown after the pairings have been announced.
Gardner turned in an amazing performance on her way to being named the tourney’s most valuable player. She set tournament records for points (106), field goals (33), free throws (37), free throw attempts (46) and rebounds (43).
Her 45 points against GSU also was a tournament record.
Joining Gardner on the all-tournament first team was Lori Tanner. Sigita Maleraite and Chevon Keith were named to the second team.
Western is the first team to play all four days and come out on top since the four-day format was adopted in 1998.
The Lady Cats entered the tourney as the sixth seed. They, along with the rest of the field, caught a break when East Tennessee upset regular season champion and perennial power Chattanooga in the first round.
Gardner scored the game-winning layup with 16 seconds left in the second overtime.
Tanner finished with 16 points, and Maleraite added 10.
Tiffany Brown paced GSU with 27 points. Dana Benemon followed with 22, and Lee Dubsoe netted 14.
Despite Gardner’s 13 rebounds, the Lady Eagles had a 46-43 edge on the boards. They were led by Benemon with eight.
WCU’s Ki-Ki Glass handed out 14 assists.
Western shot 46.5 percent from the field while the Lady Eagles made 41.8 percent of their field goal tries.
GSU committed 19 turnovers, and Western had 13.
WCU 59 Davidson 58
Western rallied from a five-point deficit with three and a half minutes left in regulation to claim a 59-58 win over Davidson in Friday’s semifinals.
WCU led 35-28 at intermission, but Davidson rallied to lead much of the second half.
Gardner scored 17 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. Tanner and Maleraite added 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Davidson was led by Janell Crayton with 14 points and Danielle Hemerka with 10.
WCU won despite shooting 35 percent from the floor compared to Davidson’s 40 percent.
The Lady Cats enjoyed a 43-37 rebounding edge. Hemerka had seven rebounds for Davidson.
The Lady Wildcats had one more turnover than Western, 18-17.
WCU 65 Furman 56
The Lady Cats handed Furman a 65-56 loss in the semifinals last Thursday behind Gardner’s 21 points and Maleraite’s 14.
Jen Nadalin and Tommi Parris had 18 and 16 points, respectively, for the Lady Paladins.
The halftime score was 28-28, and the game stayed close until a late 12-1 run put WCU in charge.
Western’s opponent again had a better shooting percentage as Furman made 40.4 percent of its field goal tries while the Lady Cats shot 37.3 percent.
WCU 79 Wofford 62
Western opened the tournament Wednesday, March 2, with a 79-62 victory over Wofford. Gardner led the way with 23 points while Keith finished with 13 and Tanner had 12.
Brie Bradshaw topped Wofford with 18 points.
WCU broke open a close game by going on a 32-13 run in the last 12 minutes.
The Lady Cats shot well and finished by making 51.8 percent of their field goal attempts while holding Wofford to 37.3 percent.
Gardner’s nine rebounds helped Western to a 46-39 advantage on the boards. Bradshaw led Wofford with 12 rebounds, and Kelsi Koening had 10.
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