Box Score
Box score
GREENVILLE, S.C. - Despite a career-high 16 rebounds from junior
Jennifer Monroe, top-seeded Anderson University women's basketball
snapped an 18-game winning streak and dropped to third-seeded
Newberry, 64-58, in the South Atlantic Conference Tournament
championship game Sunday afternoon at Timmons Arena.
With the setback, the Trojans seek an at-large bid into next
weekend's Southeast Regional as they carry an overall record of
25-4. The Wolves, who entered the tournament as the No. 7 ranked
team in the Southeast Region, move to 21-10 on the season and earn
the automatic bid into the regional tournament.
Sophomore guard Heather Jankowy paced the Black and Gold with 12
points, while senior Lesley Woods added 10 points, including three
made 3-pointers. With the three treys, Woods becomes the most
prolific 3-point shooter in program history, as she passed LaShonda
Chiles for first place with 241 made 3-pointers for her career.
Moving down the scoresheet, senior guard Sierra Simpson added
nine points while Jasmine Franklin tallied eight points as both
players were named to the SAC All-Tournament Team following the
contest.
On the boards, junior forward Jennifer Monroe grabbed a
career-high 16 rebounds, including nine offensive boards, as the
Trojans won the rebounding battle, 50-42. The 50-rebound game marks
the sixth time this season AU has grabbed 50 or more rebounds for a
game.
Newberry placed four players in double figures, as guard Colleen
Leung led the way with 17 points coming off the bench. All-SAC
First Team selections Samantha Creed and Haylee Lepaio followed the
guard with 27 combined points, as Lepaio notched a double-double
with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Guard Nicola Handreck posted 13
points headlined by three made 3-pointers.
Anderson controlled in the early parts of the first half by
jumping out to a 10-5 lead, as Franklin scored four points in the
span. The Trojans continued to cling to their lead until the 10:44
mark when Lepaio sank a pair of free throws to give the Wolves
their first lead of the contest at 13-12.
The two free throws were a part of a 9-0 by the No. 3 seed as
they grabbed a five-point advantage when Lepaio scored underneath
the basket. Despite the bucket, Anderson bounced back with five
unanswered points from Jankowy capped off by a 3-pointer from the
wing. With the scoring streak by the Walhalla, S.C. native, AU
retook an 18-17 lead with 4:40 remaining.
After the teams traded baskets on the next two possessions,
Handreck drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give
Newberry a lead it would hold on to for the remainder of the
period. Newberry closed the opening stanza by going 4-for-6 from
the free throw line in the final three minutes to set the halftime
score at 28-23.
After AU evened the score at 30-30, Handrek sank another trey
from the top of the circle to give Newberry a lead. Despite the
3-pointer, the lead was short-lived as AU fired back with four
straight points from Simpson and sophomore Alexis Dillard to give
the Trojans a lead at 34-33.
With Anderson still carrying a three-lead at the 11:40 mark,
Leung capitalized on a traditional three-point play which evened
the score for the fifth time at 38-38 with 11 minutes to play.
Handreck dropped in a lay-up on the Wolves' next possession and
handed Newberry a lead it would not relinquish.
The Wolf attack continued over the next two minutes as they
earned a nine-point lead with just under eight minutes remaining,
as the scoring stretch was highlighted by a Creed 3-pointer from
the wing. The long-range jumper was Creed's lone trey of the
contest.
Anderson tried to produce a comeback on a couple of occasions,
as Woods and Jankowy combined for back-to-back 3-pointers that
would cut its deficit to three with 6:49 remaining, but Newberry
countered with four unanswered points to increase its lead to seven
with less than seven minutes remaining.
With the momentum in NC's favor, the Trojans clawed back once
again and evened the score at 55-55 with 4:33 remaining when they
recorded a 6-0 run. Despite the momentum shift by to the Black and
Gold, Leung knocked in a deep 3-pointer with the shot clock winding
down, as the guard recorded Newberry's final nine points to set the
final score at 64-58. Leung closed the game with a 6-for-8
performance from the line in the final 2:18.
Anderson shifts its focus to the NCAA Tournament, seeking one of
the Southeast Region's five at-large bids. The Division II NCAA
Tournament Selection Show is scheduled to air at 10 p.m. on
NCAA.com.