Posted: Feb 29, 2020
KERRVILLE, Texas -- For the first time in program history, Austin College will play for the SCAC Women's Basketball Championship as the 'Roos used a huge third quarter to pull away and defeat Southwestern University, 76-58, in Saturday's nightcap of the 2020 Basketball Tournament. Official Tournament Website | Post-game Interview w/Austin College
Natalie McCoy had 25 points off the bench on 8 of 12 shooting to lead the 'Roos to Sunday's championship game.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Southwestern scored the first 11 points of the game but Austin College bounced back with six straight and had shaved the first quarter deficit to one at 19-18 by the end of the period.
- The game was tied twice and the lead exchanged hands five times in the second quarter before Kacie West banked in a three with 14 seconds remaining in the half that gave Austin College a 39-37 halftime lead.
- Austin College held Southwestern to 18.8 percent from the floor (3-16) and outscored the Pirates 20-10 to take a 59-47 lead into the final period.
- AC held Southwestern scoreless for the first four minutes of the quarter and by the time the Pirates scored their first points of the period, Austin College had extended its lead to 64-49. Southwestern got no closer than 12 the rest of the way.
AUSTIN COLLEGE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Natalie McCoy: 25 points, two assists
- Ally Longaker: 19 points two steals, two assists
- Reagan Chiaverini: 13 points, 12 rebounds, three assists
- Kacie West: 8 points, six rebounds, two assists
SOUTHWESTERN STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Naomi Brown: 10 points, 11 rebounds
- Cecily Woolfolk: 10 points, 11 rebounds
- Zhazze Brown: 11 points, four assists, three rebounds
- Noel Pratts: 10 points, six rebounds
NOTABLES
- Sunday's championship game will be a match-up of top 25 and regionally-ranked teams as #23 Austin College advances to take on #12 Trinity. In the latest NCAA South Region Rankings, Austin College is ninth and Trinity tops the rankings.
- Since 2013, and counting tonight's game, Austin College has made six trips to the conference semifinals, but this was their first victory.
- This will be the first No. 1 seed vs. No. 2 seed championship matchup since top-seeded Trinity defeated second-seeded Texas Lutheran, 78-67, in the 2017 final. In the six-team bracket era (2013-forward), the top two seeds have met three times with the top seed prevailing on each occasion.
- Southwestern ends its season with an 11-16 record.
UP NEXT
Austin College (22-4) advances to take on Trinity (23-3) in tomorrow's championship game, which is scheduled to tip at 2 p.m. CT. Trinity swept the regular season series against the 'Roos, winning 86-65 on Jan. 11 in Sherman and 87-79 on Feb. 8 in San Antonio. This will be just the second matchup between the two in SCAC tournament play. The two played in the quarterfinal round of the 2015 championships when third-seeded Trinity defeated sixth-seeded Austin College, 63-56.
Austin College (22-4) advances to take on Trinity (23-3) in tomorrow's championship game, which is scheduled to tip at 2 p.m. CT. Trinity swept the regular season series against the 'Roos, winning 86-65 on Jan. 11 in Sherman and 87-79 on Feb. 8 in San Antonio. This will be just the second matchup between the two in SCAC tournament play. The two played in the quarterfinal round of the 2015 championships when third-seeded Trinity defeated sixth-seeded Austin College, 63-56.
