William Carey Lady Crusaders Win First SSAC Tournament Title
The William Carey Lady Crusaders defeated UT-Southern 62-58 Sunday to win their first SSAC Tournament title. The game was played in Montgomery, Alabama, and marked Carey’s first appearance in the championship game.
Both teams struggled offensively early, with nearly two minutes passing without a field goal. UT-Southern took an early 2-0 lead with free throws before Meyah Doyle scored in transition to tie the game. Addyson Sherer put Carey ahead with a layup, and Bailey Devall extended the lead inside. UT-Southern responded late in the first quarter, with Ashley Dickey scoring five points, including a three with 43 seconds left, to tie the game at 7-7.
In the second quarter, the Lady Crusaders found their rhythm. Jenna Garriga scored a three-point play, and Alyssa Hillard made a mid-range jumper to give Carey a 12-9 lead. UT-Southern rallied, with Mia Jones hitting free throws and Silkiari Vazquez-Troche scoring layups to take a 17-14 lead. The lead changed hands multiple times before halftime, with the Firehawks trailing 25-24 at the break.
Carey took a brief lead early in the third quarter, but UT-Southern responded to regain momentum. Doyle scored twice to flip the deficit into a 30-27 Crusader lead. After trading free throws, the game was tied at 32 with four minutes remaining in the quarter. Carey then pulled ahead, with Devall scoring four straight points and Bailey Devall sinking two free throws for a 38-34 advantage.
The Firehawks responded with a run, with Dickey tying the game at 43-43 and Vazquez-Troche scoring twice to give UT-Southern a 43-40 lead. Madelyn Ladner drew a foul on a three-point attempt and made both free throws, trimming the deficit to 43-42 going into the fourth quarter.
In the final period, UT-Southern opened with layups from Reid and Marypaz Martínez to lead 47-42. Carey answered with baskets from Sherer and Devall, and Leah Sutton made two free throws to narrow the gap. Ladner then scored five straight points, including an and-one, to give the Lady Crusaders a 55-51 lead with just over two minutes remaining.
UT-Southern closed within one after Dickey’s three-point play with 1:59 left, but Carey maintained its lead. Sutton added a free throw, and Jenna Garriga made a clutch layup to make it 58-56 with 1:07 remaining. Ladner sealed the victory by making four free throws in the final 24 seconds. Garriga added two more free throws, and Doyle secured the final rebound as the horn sounded, sparking celebration.
Madelyn Ladner led William Carey with 16 points. Jenna Garriga scored 12, and Bailey Devall added 10. Doyle grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds. With the victory, Carey earned an automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament, which begins March 13. The team will learn its first-round opponent during the NAIA selection show Thursday at 7 p.m. on YouTube.
Source: Original Article
