Pikeville, Ky. - Shawnee State Women's Basketball advance to the Mid-South Conference Tournament semifinals after defeating Cumberland (Tenn.) 98-49. The Bears would never trail in the contest, the 49 point margin of victory is their largest against conference opponents this season.
SSU was firing on all cylinders offensively, shooting 36 of 65 for 55.4% from the field. The Bears found success from beyond the arc as they would hit 10 three pointers on 36 attempts. Shawnee forced 17 turnovers out of the Phoenix and finished with 30 points-of-turnover. The Bears won the rebounding battle substantially, grabbing 49 rebounds to Cumberland's 19. Part of the Bears scoring success is due to impressive passing with the Bears dishing out 23 assists.
The Phoenix struggled against the heavy pressure of the Bears defense as they hit 21 of 54 shots from the field for 38%. Cumberland connected on just one three pointer on nine attempts.
Shania Massie (SR/Greenfield, Ohio) came to play, leading the Bears with 22 total points. Massie was on target from deep, hitting five threes for 15 points. Fellow senior Hannah Miller (SR/Coal Grove, Ohio) contributed 16 points in the win. The Bears had four players in double digits including Laken Smith (SO/Waverly, Ohio)'s 11 point, 10 rebound double-double. Sienna King (SO/Shelby, Ohio) held it down in the post, scoring 10 points while grabbing six rebounds.
For Cumberland it was Dominique St. Louis who would be the lone double digit scorer with 12 points.
Shawnee controlled the game from the tip going on an 11-0 run before Cumberland would connect for their first score. The Bears wouldn't slow, outscoring the Phoenix 26-6 in the first quarter.
In the second quarter the Bears continued to extend their lead. At the 4:50 mark Sydney King (JR/Birmingham, Alabama) would connect on a mid-range jump shot to put the Bears up by 32 points. At the end of the first half the Bears were ahead 53-21 after shooting 61% in the periods.
Nothing changed in the second half as the Bears continued impressive defensive play to limit the Phoenix scoring. SSU went on a 15-2 run and never looked back, going up by 50 before the end of the third. The Bears would use their advantage to dig into their bench, working in several rotations in the fourth quarter. Shawnee had the game well in hand and would win by a final score of 98-49.
Shawnee State welcomes the start of post-season play with a dominating performance that improves their record to 23-8 on the season. Cumberland's season comes to a close, finishing with a record of 7-20.
Shawnee State Women's Basketball advance to the semifinals of the MSC Championships where they will take on the winner of Georgetown (Ky.) vs Pikeville (Ky.). The Bears are slated to tip-off on Sunday, March 3rd at 3PM at the Eastern Kentucky Expo Center here in Pikeville. Follow @ssubears on Twitter to find out who the Bears will face on Sunday. Shawnee SportsNet will have semifinal coverage beginning at 2:50PM.
For updates and more Mid-South Conference Basketball Championship coverage click here.
