BUENA VISTA, Va. – The Berea College women's basketball team battled in the USA South Conference championship, but ultimately came up just show as they lost 73-62 to Southern Virginia University on Saturday afternoon.
Sophomore guard
Aaliyah Hampton led the Mountaineers in scoring with 21 points. Sophomore
Destiny Combs notched a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds, while senior guard
Bailee Vanover totaled 10 points and grabbed six boards.
The first frame was a back-and-forth event as neither side could gain a large lead. Hampton got the afternoon underway for the Mountaineers as she knocked down a three-pointer and a mid-range jump shot to put Berea in front 5-2. The Knights quickly tied the contest as the stalemate lasted most of the quarter until Southern Virginia used a 5-0 run in the quarter's final minute to take a 17-12 lead into the second quarter.
The Knights took control in the second quarter, opening with a 10-5 run to take a double-digit advantage midway into the second frame. Berea trimmed into the deficit with a run of their own as a jump shot by senior
Destanie Love sparked a 13-3 run to tie to contest 30-30 at the end of the half.
Exiting the break, the Knights took a three-point advantage before the Mountaineers gained a nine-point advantage behind a 19-7 run. Five straight points from Combs sparked the scoring outburst. Southern Virginia managed to handle the damage, pulling to within four points as the contest moved into the final quarter of play.
The Mountaineers began the fourth quarter well by keeping the opposition at a seven-point deficit. However, the momentum quickly shifted in the opposite direction as the Knights used a 14-0 run over the final minutes of the game, eventually coming away with a 73-62 win to secure the USA South Conference title.
For their performance in this year's USA South Conference tournament, Combs and Hampton were both selected to the All-Tournament Team.
The Berea College women's basketball team now waits for the Selection Show on Monday to see if their season will continue with an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
