Women’s Basketball Notes, March 8, 2010

Women's basketball notes and game recaps for week ending March 7, 2010

BREVARD - The Tornados finish the season 9-19, falling in the quarterfinals of the Food Lion SAC Tournament to Lenoir-Rhyne, 69-48 ... Brevard notched their first SAC victory this season, plus two more, defeating Mars Hill, 87-72, Lincoln Memorial, 81-74, and Catawba 71-70 sending the Tornados to the conference tournament for the first time in just their second year as full NCAA Division II members ... Samantha Winn finished the season as the Tornados' leading scoring averaging 18.3 points per game, and became Brevard's all-time leading scorer with 1,554 points ... Winn also led the team in rebounding this season averaging 7.9 per game ... Winn and Millie Wharton are the only two graduating seniors as the Tornados will return with 13 letter winners next year including rising senior Amanda Whitaker, who led the team in steals and ranked sixth in the conference, while also ranking eighth in blocked shots, and 14th in a assists … Holli Flippo also returns as a junior after finishing second on the team in scoring averaging 8.3 points per game while finishing second in the conference with a 39.2 shooting percentage from 3-point range, and eighth in total 3-pointers … Flippo also ranked ninth in the SAC averaging 1.57 steals per game … Fellow rising junior Anna Schlobohm returns after leading the Tornados in assists and ranking 12th in the SAC with 2.96 per game … Schlobohm finished third on the team in scoring with 8.0 points per game..

CARSON-NEWMAN - The No. 22 Carson-Newman Lady Eagles advanced to the semifinals of the 2010 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament, defeating Wingate in the quarterfinals, 70-66, on Wednesday before falling to Newberry, 66-56, Saturday ... C-N, which is now 23-6, has received an at-large bid and the fifth-seed to the 2010 NCAA Division II Southeast Region Tournament and will play No. 4 Lenoir-Rhyne on Friday at 8:30 p.m. ... It is the second straight year that C-N has made the NCAA Tournament, a first in school history ... The Lady Eagles have reached NCAA postseason play four times since 2005 and three times in the last four years ... In the league quarterfinals, Wingate led for much of the contest, but a three-pointer by junior guard Katlin Moore at the 5:33 mark in the second half gave the Lady Eagles the lead for good ... C-N went 10-for-28 from behind the arc with Moore hitting on five-of-seven attempts from long range, finishing with a team-high 15 points ... Senior guard Ashley Kyle had 13 points and eight assists while junior guard Mandy Mendenhall had 11 points in the contest ... On Saturday, Carson-Newman was eliminated from the SAC Tournament as it shot just 33.9 percent from the floor and was forced into 22 turnovers ... Senior forward Shari Buford had a double-double for the Lady Eagles with 12 points and 10 rebounds while Mendenhall had 11 points ... Moore and sophomore forward Zoriah Williams each chipped in 10 points of their own..

CATAWBA - The Catawba women lost in the first round of the SAC Tournament 96-87 to eventual champion Tusculum ... The Lady Indians cut a 15-point deficit with 1:51 left in half, but did not have enough to overcome the strong start by the Pioneers ... Tusculum closed the half on a 24-9 run for a 49-30 edge then went up 23 with 14:57 to go ... Milica Ivanovic and Dana Hicks had big games for Catawba ... They combined for 34 points in the second half ... Ivanovic finished with 23 points, canning 5-of-10 from behind the arc, while Hicks totaled 22 points with 16 rebounds to notch her 14th double-double of the season ... Hicks finished the season averaging a double-double at 15.1 points and 11.2 rebounds ... She was a first team All-SAC selection ... Her 303 rebounds on the year tied Stpehanie McCorminck for the sixth-best total in school history ... Ivanovic had a 13.1 scoring average and led the team with 57 three-pointers..

LENOIR-RHYNE - The No. 24 Lenoir-Rhyne University women's basketball team (21-7) earned a trip to the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Tournament for the second straight year and third in school history … Lenoir-Rhyne, the fourth seed in the tournament, will face the fifth-seeded Lady Eagles of Carson-Newman (23-6) … L-R swept the season series from Carson-Newman and has won four straight games against the Lady Eagles ... Carson-Newman, however, continues to lead the all-time series, 36-18 … The regional tournament begins on Friday, March 12, in Greenwood, S.C. … Lander (24-3), the top seed, will serve as the host institution … Lenoir-Rhyne fell to Tusculum in the semifinals of the 2010 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball Tournament by a 77-63 score … Four players scored in double figures for Lenoir-Rhyne, led by senior guard Amber Holt's (Charlotte, N.C.) 14 points, but the Bears shot just 39 percent from the field (26-of-67) … Holt was named to the all-tournament squad … Three players earned All-South Atlantic Conference honors for 2009-10: senior guard Brittany Mitch (McLean, Va.) was named to the first team while Holt and sophomore guard Cameron Sealey (Gastonia, N.C.) were named to the second team … In addition, Todd Starkey captured his second straight South Atlantic Conference Coach Of The Year award … On Lenoir-Rhyne's career lists, Holt ranks fifth in points (1,491) and fourth in assists (408) while senior guard Jami Safrit (Hickory, N.C.) ranks third in assists (409) … Lenoir-Rhyne has won 20 games in consecutive seasons for the first time in 28 years and is 48-12 overall and 26-6 in league play in the last two years … L-R, ranked No. 24 in the nation last week, has won three league regular season championships in history but this season is its first outright.

LINCOLN MEMORIAL - A 15-0 first-half run by Newberry spoiled the Lady Railsplitter bid for an upset as Newberry pulled out to the 78-56 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament quarterfinal win Wednesday evening … The Lady Railsplitters, seeded seventh in the tournament, had hoped to prove true the old adage about beating a team three times in a season as they had lost both regular season meetings with second-seeded Newberry, including a 82-74 loss on the same court four days ago … The Scarlet and Gray went out to an early four point lead before LMU tied the game at 8-8 … Then the duo of Helen McKinney and Jessica Bearzatto took over and helped propel Newberry on a 15-0 run to grab the lead and they never looked back … LMU was led by Dayshalee Salaman (Carolina, Puerto Rico) with 19 points. Amberly O'Dell added in 10 points. Whitney Holmes (Oklahoma City, OK) led LMU on the boards with 13. And LMU's lone senior, Cena Nasiloski (Hammond, IN), scored four points in her final game as a Lady Railsplitter … LMU (9-19) ends its season with the loss.

MARS HILL - Mars Hill finished the season 5-22 overall and 2-13 in the South Atlantic Conference … The Mars Hill women's basketball team closed out its season with an 84-80 loss to No. 24-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne … Brittini Young was named to the 2009-10 South Atlantic Conference women's All-Conference Second Team. Young, from Ramseur, N.C., led the conference in scoring at 22 points per game. She ranks in the top 10 in the league in assists, free throw percentage, steals, three-point field goal percentage, three-point field goals made and minutes played … Young joined the 1,000 point club in her third season at Mars Hill at currently has 1,282 points, ranking her 14th on the school's all-time scoring list … Mars Hill failed to qualify for the conference tournament on February 27 after losing to Lenoir-Rhyne and after a Brevard win over Catawba..

NEWBERRY - The Newberry College basketball team advanced all the way to the Food Lion South Atlantic Tournament finals last week before ultimately falling to Tusculum… Newberry advanced to the semifinals after a 78-56 win over Lincoln Memorial… Newberry took off on a 15-point run in the first half and never looked back in a dominant 78-56 win over seventh-seeded Lincoln Memorial University in the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament quarterfinals in Eleazer Arena on Wednesday night… Newberry set a South Atlantic Conference Tournament record for single-game free throw percentage, connecting on 25-of-26 (96.2 percent) free throw attempts… Newberry was led offensively by Helen McKinney (Owensboro, Ky.), who scored 24 points and grabbed six rebounds... The post duo of Anita Bulcher (Russia, Ohio) and LeAnne Watson (Stone Mountain, Ga.) each recorded double-doubles for the scarlet and gray... Bulcher scored 10 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Watson scored 14 points and grabbed 14 rebounds... Newberry outrebounded LMU by a 55-34 margin in the game… Newberry opened the second half with a 10-4 run over the first 3:30 to take an 18-point lead… The second-seeded Newberry College women's basketball team earned a berth in the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament championship game with a 66-56 win over third-seeded Carson-Newman in the CVCC Arena on Saturday night… Newberry was led by the 11th consecutive double-double from Bulcher.. The SAC Scholar Athlete scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds… It was a tale of two halves for the Newberry squad, as the scarlet and gray were limited to 20 points in the opening half and trailed, 27-20, at the break… But the scarlet and gray put their first half struggles behind them in the second half, outscoring C-N by 17 points to take the win… With five minutes to play, the score was tied at 48-all, but Newberry closed out the game on an 18-8 surge to claim the win… Newberry also made the most of its free throw attempts, connecting on 24-of-30 (80 percent) opportunities throughout the game… The scarlet and gray also held a 43-39 rebounding advantage in the game… The second-seeded Newberry College women's basketball team fell, 67-55, to fourth-seeded Tusculum in the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament championship game at the CVCC Arena on Sunday evening… Newberry (21-8) was led by all-tournament selection Bulcher, who scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds, snapping a stellar streak of 11 consecutive double-doubles... Amy Browne (Maroochydore, Australia) scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Watson scored nine points and grabbed eight rebounds … The Newberry College women's basketball team clinched a berth to the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament as announced by the NCAA on Sunday night. Newberry emerged as the No. 6 seed in the Southeast Region and will play No. 3 Francis Marion in the opening round … Newberry returns to the tournament for the first time since making the tournament for three consecutive seasons from 2005 to 2007.

TUSCULUM - The Tusculum women's basketball team (20-9) punched its third straight ticket to the NCAA Division II Southeast Region Tournament last week, posting a trio of impressive wins over Catawba, Lenoir-Rhyne, and Newberry to capture the prorgram's first-ever Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament title … Tusculum defeated Catawba 96-87 in the quarterfinal round of the SAC Tournament on Wednesday behind a 32-point performance from SAC Player of the Year Jasmine Gunn… The 4-11 All-American set a pair of SAC Tournament records with 15 made free throws and 20 attempts at the charity stripe, while tallying her third 30-point game of the season… Catherine Hintz and Kat Spears each poured in 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting as Hintz recorded two blocked shots and a team-high nine rebounds… Kendal Baxter knocked down a trio of three-pointers to chip in 14 points on the night… Tusculum committed a season-low seven turnovers while forcing 15 Catawba miscues… The Pioneers knocked off top-seeded No. 24 Lenoir-Rhyne in Saturday's semifinal round behind a 27-point performance by Gunn… Hintz turned in her sixth double-double of the season with 16 points and a game-high 10 rebounds… Baxter continued her torrid shooting from beyond the arc, knocking down five three-pointers to record 17 points and establish a new program mark for triples in a season by a freshman… Spears scored in double figures for the second straight game, going a perfect 6-for-6 from the field while hauling down eight rebounds and blocking two shots… Jasmine Parker recorded a season- and game-high nine assists… The Pioneers forced 14 L-R turnovers, converting those miscues in to 18 points while holding the Bears to a 38.8 percent clip from the floor… Tusculum connected on 44.3 percent of its attempts from the floor on the night, including a blistering 46.2 percent clip from beyond the arc… The Pioneers captured the program's first-ever SAC Tournament title on Sunday with a 67-55 win over Newberry, recording their third straight 20-win season in the process… Baxter stole the show for the second straight game, knocking down five three-pointers, all in the second half, to lead all scorers with 17 points… The 5-5 sharpshooter finished the tournament 13-of-27 from long-range (48.1 percent), while swelling her season total to 93 three-pointers, which is the fourth-highest single-season total in program history and vaults the freshman into seventh on the school's all-time list… Gunn chipped in 15 points to become the sixth player in program history to eclipse the 1,500-point plateau in her career, accomplishing the feat in just 90 games… The 4-11 All-American is the first player in program history to surpass both the 1,000- and 1,500-point plateaus in the same season, having poured in an even 600 markers this season… The two-time All-SAC First Team selection is also the only player at any level of the NCAA to rank in the top 20 in scoring, assists, and steals in her respective division… Tusculum connected on at least 50 percent of its attempts from behind the arc for the third time this season, knocking down 6-of-11 from long range for a 54.5 percent clip from downtown… The Pioneers held Newberry to a 37.3 percent clip from the floor on the day, including a 16.7 percent mark from behind the arc… Tusculum is 9-1 this season when scoring over 80 points, and enter the week with a 10-1 mark when posting a field goal percentage over 45 percent…The Pioneers lead the conference in scoring offense (78.0), while ranking second in field goal percentage (43.1), scoring margin (+8.8), and steals (9.8).Tusculum has five players averaging more than eight points per game, including the scoring duo of Gunn and Baxter, who have combined for over 32 markers per contest through 29 games…Kat Spears is now within striking distance of the program's all-time blocked shots record, currently sitting second all-time with 133 career rejections, eight behind former teammate Stephany Neptune's school-record total of 141 blocks…Gunn currently ranks in the top 10 in program history in seven career categories, including assists (3rd/514), free throws made (3rd/446), free throws attempted (3rd/569), and steals (4th/213), while ranking first all-time in program history with an average of 5.7 assists per game…Jasmine Parker has quietly climbed into the top 10 on the program's career assists list, currently ranking eighth all-time with 291 helpers… Tusculum resumes its postseason run on Friday when the Pioneers take on Clayton State University in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional, hosted by Lander University.

WINGATE - Wingate University sophomore guard/forward Kurie Washington is an All-South Atlantic Conference women's basketball first team selection, league officials announced Friday. The SAC women's basketball award winners were recognized Saturday at the Catawba Valley Community College Multipurpose Complex, site of the 2010 Food Lion SAC tournament final four … The 2009 SAC Freshman of the Year, Washington earns all-league honors for the second consecutive year. The McDowell High School product was a second team choice last season. Wingate freshman point guard Sarah Wollett is one of five student-athletes on the SAC All-Freshman team … Washington is fourth in the SAC and tops on the Bulldog charts with her 18.1 points per game. She is fifth in the league in free throw percentage (80.8 percent) and three-point field goal percentage (38.9 percent). In addition, she is 11th in the SAC in three-point field goals made per game (1.30) and 20th in rebounding (5.1 rebounds per game) … In her 27 games this season, Washington hit double-figure points 25 times. She netted a career-high 32 points in SAC contest against Mars Hill Feb. 17. The next game, Washington made 10-of-15 field goals en route to a 29-point effort at Newberry Feb. 20. She had 20-plus points nine times this year … Washington averaged 18.8 points per game in SAC contests this year, the exact same average from her award-winning freshman campaign. Last year, she led the league with her 18.8 point per game average in league contests. She also led first-year SAC players in scoring with her 15.4 points per game … Wollett was fourth on the Wingate charts this year, averaging 6.5 points per game. She stepped up her game in league play, posting 7.5 points per game in 13 league appearances. The Wakefield High School product led the Bulldogs with her 75 assists this season … On the SAC charts, Wollett was sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.01), eighth in assists (3.1 helpers per game) and 11th in free throw percentage (76.3 percent). Wollett scored a career-high 20 points in Wingate's 78-68 SAC victory at Tusculum Feb. 10.