The Lady Bruins pulled off the upset on Saturday afternoon as the team defeated #1 seeded Pensacola Christian College 78-62 to capture the NCCAA DII South Region Championship.
"I'm very proud of our team and especially our seniors," Bruins Head Coach Mike LeViere said. "This is a special group and they have worked hard all year. We knew our game plan and knew we could compete with Pensacola and our team came out and executed that game plan. For these seniors to be key in our first region championship their freshman year and then to cap off their career by winning a second region championship is remarkable."
The Bruins came into the tournament as the #2 seed having advanced to the title game with a victory over #6 seeded Trinity Baptist College in the semifinal. The top-seeded Eagles defeated #5 Toccoa Falls College in the semifinal to setup the rematch of last year's region championship game. The Bruins and Eagles met twice this season with Pensacola winning both matchups.
The game started off with high intensity as both teams wanted the win and it showed. The first twelve points were all from 3-pointers as the score remained close. Madison Shupe and Rachel Clark provided the scoring touch from the outside but it was the Eagles who closed the quarter strong to lead 22-18 at the end of the first.
In the second quarter, the Bruins picked up the defensive intensity as they forced the Eagles into several turnovers which turned into points on the offensive end. Another run sparked by Shupe and Clark allowed the Bruins to battle back as they took a 40-34 lead into halftime.
As the second half began, the Bruins came out and attacked the rim on offense. As a result, Kylee Leffew and Delaney Edwards were able to pick up points in the paint as the run pushed the Bruins lead to 57-45 at the end of the third quarter.
With just one quarter to play, the Bruins came out looking to complete the upset. The Eagles had other plans as they came roaring back to cut the lead to 59-54 thanks to a three by Sandy McElhaney.
The Bruins came right back in the closing minutes and were calm under pressure as the team hit thirteen of fourteen free throws down the stretch to complete the upset and win 78-62.
"Everyone contributed tonight," Senior captain Kylee Leffew said. "Before the game, we talked about how everyone had a role in this game and everyone needed to contribute to win. I'm so proud of this team and how we came together to win."
The seniors led the way for the Bruins as Kylee Leffew, Madison Shupe, and Rachel Clark combined to score 62 of the Bruins 78 points. Shupe led the way for the Bruins with 22 points, 12 rebounds, 4 steals, and 4 assists. Rachel Clark shot 4-7 from three-point range to finish with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals in the win. Kylee Leffew scored 19 points as the team won their second region championship in program history.
With the win, the Bruins punched their ticket to compete in the NCCAA DII National Tournament, March 11-14 in Joplin, Missouri. Seeding and schedule will be released in the coming week from the NCCAA.
