Marietta, GA - Shawnee State Women's Basketball got back to their winning ways Thursday night, defeating Life on the road 77-71. The Bears pulled it out in the final minutes despite a late comeback run from the Running Eagles.
SSU shot well finishing at 28-65 for 43% from the field and 6-21 for 30% from downtown. The Running Eagles shot 31-75 for 41% including 4-14 from behind the three point line.
Both Shania Massie (SR/Greenfield, Ohio) and Ashton Lovely (SR/Jamestown, Ohio) put up 12 points and 7 rebounds to lead the Bears with Massie going 4-10 from deep. Bailey Cummins (JR/Brooksville, Kentucky) contributed 13 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists. Sydney King (JR/Birmingham, Alabama) finished with 13 as well on 4-6 shooting from the field.
The Running Eagles were led by Tierra Tulls who finished with 15 points and 6 rebounds. Sydney Garnigan would end up with 14 while Tierra Lindsey scored 12 while pulling in seven boards.
Both teams got out to a hot start in the first quarter as Shania Massie would hit two three pointers in the first two minutes. Life answered on each possesion, the game was locked at 10 with 6:38 left to go. As expected, both sqauds pushed the tempo, moving the ball quickly down the floor. With three minutes to go in the first, Sydney King would grab an offensive board and put back to put the Bears up six, making it 20-14. In the last minute, Life would score on two straight possesions and take a 25-22 lead at the end of the quarter.
Life would extend their lead to five in the opening minutes of the second quarter before the Bears would answer with their first bucket at the 8:00 mark with a Hannah Miller (SR/Coal Grove, Ohio) layup. The score stayed 27-25 Life for three minutes and with 5:00 left in the first half, offense was stagnant on both ends. The Bears woud tie it up at 29 on a Bailey Cummins floater and take a 31-29 lead on a Sydney King layup on the next possession. Niether team would maintain much of a lead in the last few minutes, Cummins would splash a three with six seconds left to give the Bears a 39-35 halftime lead.
SSU maintained at least a two point lead for the first three and a half minutes of the third quarter until Life would score with 6:28 left to tie it up at 43 a piece. Ashton Lovely and Shania Massie splashed threes on back to back possessions with under five minutes to go in the third, giving the Bears a 51-43 lead. Laken Smith (SO/Waverly, Ohio) would hit a jumper in the lane at the 3:30 mark to give the Bears a 10 point lead, their largest of the game. Shawnee maintained momentum, leading 58-49 at the end of the third.
Shania Massie extended the Bears lead with a three at the 8:11 mark to make it 61-49 SSU. With just under six minutes to play, the Bears maintained a 10 point lead, with the score at 66-56. With 2:13 left, Life would strike on two straight possesions to tighten the gap to two making it 71-69 with 1:25 on the clock. With just 0:09 seconds left the Bears led 73-71 until a foul would put Bailey Cummins on the line, she would make both and put the score at 75-71. Life was unable to score on their final possession, Sydney King would close the book with a final set of freethrows making the final score 77-71 SSU.
The win puts Shawnee State back on track after two straight conference losses, they improve their overall record to 18-5 and 5-2 in the Mid-South. Life drops to 12-8 and 2-6 in conference play.
SSU Women's Basketball will quickly turn around and face University of the Cumberlands (Ky) on Saturday, Feb. 2. Tip-off between the Bears and Patriots is set for 2PM.
