MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The fourth-seeded Mobile (Ala.) Rams upset No. 2 seed Bethel (Tenn.) 68-58 to capture the 2017 SSAC Women's Basketball Championship, presented by Newk's Eatery.
Mobile receives the conference's second bid to the NAIA National Championship, with Loyola already having received a bid from winning the regular season title.
Inside The Box Score
· Mobile out-shot Bethel 47% to 35% from the field and held the Wildcats to only 5-of-17 from 3-point range, after Bethel hit 16 triples in their semifinal victory
· Starla Daggan scored a tournament-record 37 points on 13-of-28 shooting from the field to pace everyone, while Kali Koenig had 18 for the Lady Rams, along with five boards. Those two combined for 55 of the team's 68 points
· Bethel got a team-high 20 points from Shamon Pearson, who went 4-of-9 from distance, while her teammates went 1-of-8. Brandi Goodman added 17 points and six rebounds
Additional Notes
· The first quarter saw the teams go back-and-forth to the tune of six lead changes and a 15-15 tie, with neither team leading by more than three
· The rest of the game belonged to Mobile, as the Lady Rams used an early 10-0 spurt in the second quarter to take a 27-17 lead, with all points coming from Koenig and Daggan
· The only time the rest of the way that Bethel pulled within one score was 34-31 with 8:23 to go in the second, but Mobile again responded with six-straight points
All-Tournament Team
Meghan Temple Loyola
Kayla Tillman Faulkner
Brandi Goodman Bethel
Shamon Pearson Bethel
Kali Koenig Mobile
*Starla Daggan Mobile
* = Tournament MVP
No. 18 Bethel appears to be in great shape for a national tournament bid. The NAIA will announce the bids Tuesday and the pairings Wednesday. The championships get underway Wednesday March, 15 in Billings, Montana.
Coach Chris Nelson was disappointed but upbeat about his team and the upcoming national tournament. "What a great week for our ladies and team that came up without the perfect ending. Credit Coach Billy Evans and Mobile for making it hard on us all night. I thought our kids fought and did things to win the game but Starla Daggan made big plays every time we cut it close. The NAIA tourney is ultimate goal and we are going to pour everything into it. I think we are built for it more than last year. We are excited about seeing match-ups and game times along with preparing for another big run. This is what we work for and we are excited for another opportunity to practice, be together, and make more memories in March."
