The Shawnee State Bears (27-5) were unable to overcome nine 3-pointers and 14 second chance points from the University of Cumberlands (28-3) as the Bears fell just short 73-70. The Championship game was everything expected as both teams battled to the very end after splitting the regular season.
Nerves set in early for both teams as Shawnee State shot 2-7 from the start and Cumberlands started 2-8. However, the pace of the game slowly picked up as the Patriots pushed the ball every chance they could get.
Alex Pohl (Loveland, OH) started the Bears with back-to-back field goals. Patriots Lauren Wombles would hit two early 3-pointers helping Cumberlands push their lead to an early 15-10 with 11:56 remaining in the half.
The Patriots continued to shot hot from beyond the arc as Jackie Alexander hit a 3-pointer to help push their lead to 20-10 making them 4-4 from 3-point range in the first 10:00 of the game.
A jumper from Schera Sampson (Round Rock, TX) pulled Shawnee State within 20-12 and back-to-back 3-pointers from Allison Nagle (Loveland, OH) and Alannah Sheets (Leon, WV) pulled the Bears to 24-18 with 7:33 remaining.
Nagle, who went 3-5 from beyond the arc for nine points in the first half, hit another 3-pointer in the corner with a defender in her face with 1:28 left in the half to cut the Cumberland lead to 34-30. It was the closest the Bears have been to the Patriots since the 14:26 mark when trailing 10-7.
With the clock winding down Cumberlands Jade Howard pulled down two offensive rebounds and just beat the buzzer for a lay-in as the Patriots went into halftime leading 40-33.
Shawnee continued to fight back in the second half as Pohl jumper and a layup from Tabby McKinney (Canton, OH) cut a seven point lead to 43-39. It was another 3-pointer from Cumberlands that gave them a 46-39 advantage maintaining the seven point lead they went into halftime with.
Catrice Mitchell (Cincinnati, OH) layup with 10:21 remaining in the game got the Bears within 51-49, the closest they've been since opening tip. Another 3-pointer on the other end of the floor for Cumberlands from Alexander gave the Patriots a 54-49 advantage.
Again a 3-pointer from Howard gave the Patriots a 57-54 advantage, it was Cumberlands seventh of the game that point with 6:54 remaining.
Pohl 15-footer with 5:00 remaining in the game gave Shawnee State their first since Pohl's first basket of the game with 19:39 remaining in the first half. The next possession down the Bears Sheets jumper put them up 62-59.
However, the Patriots again hit a 3-pointer tying the game at 64-64 with 3:31 left in the game. Howard again drove down the lane for the Patriots on the next possession giving them a two-point lead as Cumberlands seemed to have an answer for everything Shawnee State threw at them.
The Patriots hit another 3-pointer with 1:56 remaining giving them a 69-66 advantage and then blocked a 3-point attempt from Sheets. Howard then drove in the lane and found a wide open Wombles for a layup, giving Cumberlands a four point lead with 37 seconds left.
After a missed 3-pointer on the other end from Sheets it was Pohl who grabbed the offensive rebound and laid it in for an and-one with 24.8 seconds remaining. Pohl was able to finish off the 3-point play pulling Shawnee State to 71-70.
It was literally a battle to the end as it came down to the free throw game. Howard made both pushing their lead to 73-70. Sampson missed a 3-point attempt on the other end and Nagle grabbed an offensive rebound, only to have Sampson travel.
Shawnee State got one more opportunity after Cumberlands missed the front end of a one-and-one with 0.7 seconds remaining. Sheets caught the ball but the shot attempt was blocked as the Bears fell 73-70.
Shawnee State had four players reach double-figures as Sheets led the way with 18 points and five assists. Pohl helped with 16 points and nine rebounds for the Bears. Nagle, who made 3-6 from beyond the arc finished with 12 points and McKinney chipped in with 11 points and six rebounds.
In the game the Bears shot 45 percent from the floor as the University of Cumberlands shot 25-62. The Bears made 5-16 from beyond the arc as the Patriots finished with an impressive nine 3-pointers made in the game. One of the differences in the ballgame might have been the 19 offensive rebounds given up and 14 second chance points for the Patriots.
Brackets for the National Tournament will come out on Wednesday, Mar. 7 as Shawnee State will look to make another run from a fab four appearance a year ago.
