2018 OVC Women's Basketball Championship - First Round

3/1/2018 5:08:57 PM

#4 JACKSONVILLE STATE 69, #5 MOREHEAD STATE 56
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Senior Tyler Phelion poured in a season-best 24 points as Jacksonville State women's basketball team beat Morehead State for the third time this season, 69-56, in first round action of the 2018 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.

Phelion's 24 points came just one shy of her career mark set last season, and were the most points scored by a Gamecock in the OVC Tournament since Freddricka Embry tallied 25 against Eastern Kentucky in 2004.

Only Phelion and fellow seniors Gretchen Morrison and Leah Strain entered Thursday's matchup with MSU having played in the OVC Tournament before, with the trio doing so as freshmen in 2015 in JSU's last postseason trip. That didn't stop the Gamecocks who led wire-to-wire in handing the fifth-seeded Eagles their third loss of the season to JSU.

With the win, JSU (19-11, 12-6 OVC) matched the program's Division I school record for wins in a single season, tying that 2014-15 squad that featured Phelion, Morrison and Strain as freshmen. It become's the first time Jax State has advanced in the league tournament since 2014 when they topped SIUE and Tennessee Tech, before falling to Belmont in the semifinals under the tournament's old format that required lower seeds to play four games in four days.

MSU finished the season 21-11, after totaling the second-most overall wins in the conference.

In addition to Phelion's game-high 24 points, Chloe Long added a season-best 12 points off the bench as the league's most balanced offensive attack saw 10 players reach the scoring column.

JSU began the game on an 8-0 run, before MSU cut it back to an 8-6 score midway through the opening period. Senior Ki-Ki Patterson's big three near the end of the quarter halted the Eagles' comeback momentum and gave Jax State a 19-12 advantage heading into the second.

MSU again threatened in the second, pulling within one at 25-24, before Jayla Walker and Taylor Hawks had back-to-back treys on consecutive possessions to build the Gamecock cushion once more. Jax State led by six at the half, and extended its lead to double-digits for the first time near the end of the third quarter at 49-39.

The Gamecocks locked down on defense in the fourth and held off a couple of late pushed by the blue and gold to win after leading wire-to-wire for the second-straight game.

Morehead State's Miranda Crockett led the team with 15 points while Eriel McKee added 11.

JSU returns to the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind., at 1p.m. on Friday to face top-seeded and 22nd-ranked Belmont in the semifinals. JSU has never advanced to the championship game since joining the OVC in 2004.

#3 SIUE 76, #6 AUSTIN PEAY 43
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - SIUE women's basketball led from start to finish Thursday, capturing a commanding 76-43 victory over Austin Peay in the opening round of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.

The Cougars, 17-13, now advance to the OVC Tournament semifinals for the fourth straight season and will take on UT Martin in a 3 p.m. game Friday.

SIUE nearly broke the OVC Tournament record for largest margin of victory after leading by as many as 40 points in the third quarter. The record continues to be Tennessee Tech's 89-54 win over Youngstown State in 1986.

The previous best win for SIUE in the OVC Tournament was 12 points against Tennessee State in 2013.

For SIUE Head Coach Paula Buscher, it wasn't about the point differential. It was about a great beginning.

The Cougars won the opening tip and scored on its first possession on a jumper by freshman Allie Troeckler, who finished with 11 points and needed one more rebound for a double-double.

Austin Peay, which closed out the season 16-14, would never get closer.

Lauren White followed with a three-pointer in the first period to make it 5-0. She scored 12 points and now needs just six points to become the 26th player in school history to pass the 1,000-point mark.

SIUE had its first double-digit lead of the game at the 1:18 mark of the first period on a free throw by Sydney Bauman. It would be the second quarter when the Cougars applied maximum pressure.

The lead extended to 30 points at halftime as SIUE gained a 25-5 edge in the second period. Nakiah Bell came off the bench to score 10 of her game-high 13 points as SIUE led at halftime 45-15.

SIUE also dominated the boards with a 46-31 edge over the Governors. Bauman led SIUE with 12 rebounds.

Austin Peay finished the game without anyone scoring in double figures. Brianne Alexander and Myah Leflore scored seven points each.

SIUE's sizeable lead also gave Buscher an opportunity to play more of the bench as 12 Cougars played 10 or more minutes in the game. Troeckler had the most with 24.

The Cougars threw out numerous lineups against the Governors, which shot 14 of 54 for the game (25.9 percent). SIUE, meanwhile, connected on 26 of 57 (45.6 percent).