Greenville, S.C.-- For the first time since 2014, the Lenoir-Rhyne Women's Basketball team will be heading to the SAC title game as the Bears took out the No. 1 seed Catawba 68-63 on Saturday afternoon.
Emily Harman led the Bears with 17 points while
Hannah Stull added 14 points and seven rebounds. LR will face Anderson Sunday at 1:00 PM as the Bears are looking for their third SAC title in program history.
GAME INFORMATION:
Final: Lenoir-Rhyne 68 No. 17 Catawba 63
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (23-7) No. 17 Catawba (25-5)
Location: Greenville, S.C. | Timmons Arena
STATS AND INFO:
- This is the first matchup in the SAC Tournament since the Bears defeated Catawba 77-75 to win their first SAC title in 2003.
- Bears are are now 4-7 in semifinal games and 17-29 all-time in the SAC tournament.
- Harman and Crooks have started all thirty games this season.
- The Bears are now 4-0 against ranked opponents this season.
FIRST HALF:
- The Bears came out hot from the floor shooting 64% to open a 23-18 lead after ten minutes. Megan Landsiedel had eight first quarter points for LR.
- Ten second quarter points from Jaylan Downs got Catawba back in the game while Lyrik Thorne scored with three seconds remaining to give Catawba their first lead since 2-0.
- Catawba took a 39-37 lead into halftime. Landsiedel and Harman led the Bears with eight points apiece as the Bears shot 54% from the floor in the half.
SECOND HALF:
- Despite shooting just 23% in the third quarter, the Bears cut the lead to 53-52 after thirty minutes. LR did not turn the ball over the entire quarter while forcing four in the period to help cut the lead despite the 3-13 shooting.
- The whole second half was played within one possession until the final two seconds of the game.
- The biggest run of the whole second half was the Bears 5-0 run capped off by a Stull layup with 2:28 left to give the Bears a 64-61 lead.
- The teams combined to go 0-4 on their next two possessions before the Indians made a layup with 28 seconds left to cut the lead to one.
- With the shot clock off, Catawba was forced to foul which landed Harman at the line. The junior connected on both to give LR the 66-63 lead with 17 seconds.
- Thorne, the SAC player of the year, had a chance to tie it but her three pointer fell well short before falling out of bounds for the Bears possession with 2.1 seconds left.
- After a Catawba foul, Crooks drained both her free throws to send the Bears to the title game for the first time since 2014.
ABOUT THE INDIANS:
- Sara McIntosh had a game-high 22 points on 8-10 shooting while adding nine rebounds.
- Downs added 14 points while Thorne had 13 points and six rebounds.
- Lauren Ford had eleven rebounds in 27 minutes of the bench.
ABOUT THE BEARS:
- Harman lead the Bears with 17 points while playing all 40 minutes.
- Stull had 14 points and added a team high seven rebounds.
- Crooks was the third Bears in double digits as the junior added 13 points including the final two free throws to ice it.
UP NEXT: Bears will battle Anderson for the SAC title tomorrow. Tip-off from Greenville, S.C. is scheduled for 1:00 PM.