Frankfort, Ky. – Shawnee State women's basketball won their third consecutive Mid-South Conference Tournament on Sunday afternoon, toppling #2 seed Lindsey Wilson 71-65 at the Frankfort Convention Center.

The Bears would get off to a hot start in the first quarter, leading the whole period. With a 9-5 lead, Shawnee State would put together a 12-0 run to take a 21-5 lead on the Blue Raiders. Shawnee State were 4-7 from three in the period, good enough to build a 24-9 lead at the break.

Shawnee State would need the 15 point advantage, as Lindsey Wilson would storm back into the game in the second quarter. Kayla Styles would score 13 of Lindsey Wilson's 20 points in the period, and grabbed nine rebounds in the quarter, five on the offensive end. Shawnee State would do enough offensively to hold a 36-29 advantage at halftime.

The third quarter would be fairly even, as Shawnee State would survive an early 8-3 Lindsey Wilson run to eventually push the lead back out to nine points to end the period. Shawnee State would then start the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run to push the lead to 17 points. Lindsey Wilson would begin a late charge with 5:28 to go, with Kayla Styles hitting a layup to make it 66-63 with 1:29 to go. However, the Bears would dig deep and close the game, with Bailey Cummins (FR/Brooksville, Kentucky) putting the game out of reach with a three pointer with 16 seconds to go.

Brandie Snow (FR/Hartville, Ohio) would lead Shawnee State's balanced attack with 15 points on the afternoon. Bailey Cummins and Lydia Poe (SO/Jackson, Ohio) each had 13, and Madison Ridout (JR/Jackson, Ohio) added 12. Jonessa Moore (SR/Cincinnati, Ohio) had nine points and led Shawnee State with 10 rebounds.

Kayla Styles had 25 points and 12 rebounds to lead Lindsey Wilson. Chanel Roberts added 11 and Malerie Martin had 10.

With the win, Shawnee State improves to 31-2 on the season. Lindsey Wilson falls to 30-2.

The win clinches Shawnee State the Mid-South Conference's automatic bid to the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Championships, to be held in Billings, Montana March 15^th-21^st. The win also clinches Shawnee State's third consecutive automatic bid to the National Tournament, as the Bears have now won three straight Mid-South Conference Tournaments. The Bears defeated Campbellsville each of the last two seasons.

Shawnee State will find out the date and opponent of their first round game at the National Tournament on Wednesday, March 8^th.