FRANKFORT, Ky. (Women's Basketball) – The No. 19 Shawnee State women's basketball team will play for a championship. The Bears defeated the University of the Cumberlands, 56-51,in a hard-fought battle Saturday afternoon to head to the final round of the Mid-South Conference Championship, to be played Sunday afternoon versus Campbellsville University at 1 p.m. at the Frankfort Convention Center.
The Bears trailed by as many as six in the second half, but erased the deficit over a three-minute stretch beginning at the 13-minute mark. Trailing by six – but with the Cumberlands' leading scorer and rebounder, Lydia Cuff, on the bench in foul trouble – SSU went to work in the paint, feeding Mid-South Conference Player of the Year Ali Zieverink (JR/West Chester, Ohio).
Zieverink scored back-to-back buckets, converted an old-fashioned three-point play and then hit one more free throw to make it a two point game, 39-37. The Patriots answered with a bucket from Essence Gray, but Rebecca Bruner (SR/Springfield, Ohio) answered with a bucket to cut it back to two again.
Following a stop on the defensive end, Abby Feuchter (JR/Cincinnati, Ohio) found Rachael Young (SR/Franklin, Ohio) open on the left wing. The sharpshooter connected on the biggest bucket of the game to put SSU ahead.
The two squads tied the score twice more and traded the lead three times through the five-minute mark, but a pair of Ashley McMurtrey (FR/Louisville, Ky.) free throws put the Bears ahead for good with 4:41 to play. Shavon Robinson (SR/Canton, Ohio) converted on 7-of-8 free throws down the stretch to put the game on ice.
Neither squad was exceptionally strong shooting the basketball, as the Bears connected on just 16-of-46 shots from the field, while holding the Cumberlands to just 20-of-62 . SSU split the difference by making 22-of-31 free throws, compared to just 5-of-13 from UC.
The Cumberlands came into the contest as the seventh seed in the tournament, but was riding the high of defeating second-seeded Lindsey Wilson the day before. The Patriots were able to impose their will defensively for much of the first half, breaking out to a 28-23 advantage.
Three players landed in double figures for SSU, as Zieverink led the way with 18 to go with seven rebounds. Robinson added 12 and McMurtrey tabbed 10 to go with seven caroms. Bruner was strong on the glass, grabbing eight boards despite giving up several inches on the 6-foot-2 Cuff.
Shawnee State now turns sights to the top-seeded and No. 4-ranked Campbellsville University. The two squads have met twice this season, with the Lady Tigers coming out on top on both occasions. CU advanced to the finals in a 52-45 victory over Cumberland University.
The Bears have played in the MSC Tournament championship game twice since joining the conference in 2010. SSU fell to Campbellsville in the first year playing in the league, and fell to the Cumberlands the following season. SSU has won at least one tournament game in each of their five appearances.
