LA GRANGE, Ga. — The Belhaven women’s basketball team earned a spot in the Collegiate Conference of the South championship game with an 88-79 win over Asbury in the semifinals Friday evening at LaGrange College. The Blazers improve to 19-6 overall and will face No. 1 seed LaGrange in Saturday’s title game.
Belhaven never trailed in the contest. The team used strong scoring runs in each of the first three quarters to build a double-digit lead, which it maintained down the stretch. The Blazers will look to claim the conference tournament title and secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
In the first quarter, Ny Jones tied the game at 3-3 with a three-pointer just 44 seconds into the game. The Blazers responded with a 10-2 run, sparked by layups from Kyla Farmer and Katelyn Coleman. Coleman scored nine points in the opening period. Jasi Jenkins added consecutive buckets, and Veronica Williams finished a fastbreak layup after a steal by Coleman. Belhaven closed the quarter on a 12-4 run to lead 25-19.
The second quarter saw Belhaven maintain its offensive pressure. Kamren Edwards opened with a jumper, and Williams hit a three-pointer to push the lead to 30-20. Allison Liddell added a three off an assist from Kiersten Hudson, stretching the lead to 11. Williams hit another three, and Farmer scored inside to cap a 9-1 stretch, giving the Blazers their largest halftime lead at 47-40. Belhaven shot 50% in the quarter.
The third quarter proved decisive. After Asbury trimmed the deficit to five, Belhaven responded with an 11-2 run. Ny Jones scored in the paint, and Williams converted fastbreak layups. Farmer added an and-one, and Jenkins made a putback to extend the lead to 60-44. The Blazers led 72-62 entering the final period. Despite a late rally by Asbury, Belhaven maintained its advantage with clutch shooting and strong defense.
In the fourth quarter, Asbury cut the deficit to four at 75-71 with five minutes remaining. Belhaven responded with key baskets from Coleman and Williams, including a three-pointer by Williams at 5:19 to make it 79-71. The team relied on free throws and defense to seal the victory. Coleman went 4-for-6 at the line in the final minutes, and Ny Jones scored a layup in the closing seconds.
Belhaven scored 20 points off 25 turnovers and outscored Asbury 44-34 in the paint. The team will face LaGrange in Saturday’s championship game at 2 p.m. at LaGrange College.
