No. 3 SEED MILES COLLEGE DEFEAT No.7 STILLMAN COLLEGE 62-44 TO ADVANCE TO CHAMPIONSHIP
ATLANTA, GA. – The SIAC Women's Basketball Championship game is set after the Lady Bears of Miles College (21-7), led by junior
Sammeika Thomas double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds defeated the Stillman College Lady Tigers (16-12), 62-44 tonight at Frank L. Forbes Arena.
Stillman kept the game close for most of the first half, scoring the first point of the game after Jamila McKinnis hit one-of-two from the free throw line. Miles answered right away with a layup by junior
Sammeika Thomas, giving the Lady Bears a lead they wouldn't give up.
With 14:20 in the first half, Miles pushed their lead to 10 on a free throw by Thomas. Stillman pushed back and with 7:17 to play in the first half, the Lady Tiger pulled within four on a jumper by McKinnis.
Miles built the lead back up to 10 at the 4:15 mark, but with 2:45 to play in the half, Stillman cut the lead to five on a Siera Dority jumper.
The Lady Tigers continued driving into the paint and to the hoop. Stojanna Hollis made a layup with 1:15 to play in the period and after a foul by junior
Alicia Ware, Hollis made the first of two free throws. Phyllice Eubanks grabbed the offensive rebound on the second free throw and Dority followed with a jumper in the paint, bringing the score to 27-24 in favor of Miles. The half ended with Miles leading 31-25.
The Lady Bears came out in the second half with great intensity. Just five minutes into the half, junior
Toccara Charles hit a three-pointer, giving Miles a ten point lead. Senior
Ashley Orphey then stole the ball from Eubanks and went coast-to-coast for the fast break layup, putting the Lady Bears up by 12 with 14:31 to play.
The remainder of the game went the Lady Bears' way as they capitalized off missed shots and turnovers by the Lady Tigers. Miles scored 13 points off turnovers while dumping 18 points in the paint and 10 second-chance points. The end result was a 62-44 victory over Stillman.
Thomas had an impressive showing for the Lady Bears, while going 6-of-8 at the free throw line, 7-for-14 from the floor, dishing out three assists and grabbing two steals. Charles and junior
Kamissah Shaw added 8 and 6 points each. Orphey dished out four assist, five points and grabbed five rebounds.
McKinnis paced the Lady Tigers with 11 points, 8 rebounds and two blocks. Alecia Young followed with 9 points, 6 rebounds and one block.
The Lady Bears will play No. 1 seeded Fort Valley State in Atlanta, GA at 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 5 for the SIAC Women's Basketball Tournament Title.
