Cobras Punch Ticket with First Ever SAC Tournament Title
The 20th-ranked and third-seeded Cobras defeated fourth-seeded Carson-Newman, 60-46, on Saturday afternoon in the SAC Tournament Championship game inside the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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11 | 10 | 17 | 8 | 46 |
|
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15 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 60 |
Team Stats
Carson-Newman
| Game Statistics | Carson-Newman | #20 Coker |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (17-55) | (24-61) |
| Field Goal % | 30.9% | 39.3% |
| Rebounds | 28 | 49 |
| Assists | 2 | 4 |
| Turnovers | 10 | 15 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 7 | 7 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 2 | 12 |
| Pts in the Paint | 26 | 20 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 5 | 6 |
| Bench Pts | 14 | 3 |
ROCK HILL, S.C. – For the first time in program history, the Coker University women's basketball team is the South Atlantic Conference Tournament champion.
The 20th-ranked and third-seeded Cobras defeated fourth-seeded Carson-Newman, 60-46, on Saturday afternoon in the SAC Tournament Championship game inside the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center.
Junior forward Kamari Thompson was named the Tournament MVP after recording her third consecutive double-double with 10 points and 18 rebounds. Senior guards Shawnteanna Tillman and Kristynn Knight joined Thompson on the All-Tournament Team.
Tillman led all scorers with 23 points, while Knight added 14 points in the championship victory.
BY THE NUMBERS:
#20 Coker 25-6 (17-5 SAC) | Carson-Newman (20-10, 15-7 SAC)
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Kamari Thompson, Shawnteanna Tillman and Kristynn Knight earned All-Tournament honors and Thompson was the tournament MVP.
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Coker claimed the school's first WBB Conference Tournament Championship.
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Coker out rebounded Carson-Newman, 49-28.
TOP PERFORMERS:
Kamari Thompson: 10 points, 18 rebounds, 2 blocked shots
Shawnteanna Tillman: 23 points, 6 rebounds, 5 three-pointers
Kristynn Knight: 14 points, 7 rebounds
Dasia Ferguson: 10 points
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Coker jumped out to a 5-0 lead and held a 9-2 advantage early and never looked back. The Cobras led 15-11 at the end of the opening quarter.
Carson-Newman was able to climb to within two points, 19-17, midway through the second quarter, but baskets from Shawnteanna Tillman and Kristynn Knight sparked an 8-0 run that helped the Cobras pull away. Coker carried a 32-21 lead into halftime.
Coker pushed its lead to as many as 15 points in the third quarter and held a 48-38 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. The Cobras then controlled the final 10 minutes to pull away for the championship victory.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Coker punched their automatic bid ticket to the NCAA Tournament with the tournament victory and will find out where, when and who they play during the NCAA Selection Show at 10:30 PM on Sunday. Coker will host at watch party in the DeLoach Center on Sunday night.