Box Score
Box Score (html)
BARTLESVILLE, Okla. – After seeing a 37-36 halftime advantage turn into a 54-41 deficit in less than five minutes, the SWOSU women's basketball team showed their resiliency and toughness to come-from-behind to knock off No. 2 Harding 78-74 in the Great American Conference Tournament championship game on Sunday afternoon.
The win gives SWOSU their second GAC Tournament championship in three seasons and it secures an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II National Tournament, which they will play in for the second straight season.
The Lady Bulldogs came out on fire, building a 21-10 lead within eight minutes as
Taryn Sayama hit her first four field goal attempts of the game. As SWOSU began to cool off slightly, Harding started chipping away at their deficit before taking their first lead at 34-33 on free throws with 2:20 to play in the half.
Chelsea Bates scored the final four points of the first half, including a coast-to-coast layup that gave SWOSU the lead, 37-36, at the break.
Harding quickly flexed their muscle to start the second half, outscoring SWOSU 18-4 over the first five minutes of the half to take a 54-41 lead with 15:11 to play. The Lady Bulldogs managed to get back within single digits after a 3-pointer from
Kylie Boggess and a basket from
Sarina Sayama, but Harding pushed the lead back to 13 after A'ndrea Haney hit a 3-pointer with 8:39 to play, making it 68-55 in favor of the Lady Bisons.
From that point on, however, the Lady Bulldogs dug deep and held Harding to just six points the rest of the way. Kristen Celsor hit a basket with 2:40 to play, giving the Lady Bisons a 74-70 lead, but SWOSU scored the final eight points of the game to secure the win.
Sarah Mendoza started the final stretch with two free throws before
Jaimee Cohen tied the game at 74-74 with 1:39 to play. After forcing a Harding turnover, Fisher gave SWOSU the lead for the first time since halftime on a lay in with 55 seconds to play. Cohen took a charge on the next possession, but
Sarina Sayama missed two free throws with 38 seconds left and the Lady Bisons had possession with a chance to tie.
The Lady Bulldogs defense buckled down and forced another missed shot by Harding and Boggess headed to the free throw line to clinch the game after grabbing the rebound. Making her first trip to the line all game, Boggess was clutch in hitting the final attempts with nine seconds to play and clinching the victory for SWOSU.
Fisher and
Taryn Sayama both finished with 18 points for SWOSU while
Sarina Sayama and Mendoza each added 11. Fisher was named the Tournament MVP while both Sayama twins joined her on the All-Tournament Team.
Harding had all five starters score in double figures, led by 18 from A'ndrea Haney, as they suffered just their second loss of the season.
SWOSU will now await their NCAA Tournament fate, which will be announced this evening on NCAA.com at 9 pm. Lady Bulldog fans wanting to watch the show can do so at the following link:
NCAA Tournament Selection Show
