Game 10 (Women): No. 1 Benedict 66, No. 5 Albany State 61 (OT)
Boxscore | Postgame Press Conference | Benedict Recap | ASU Recap
Benedict escaped Albany State 66-61 in an overtime quarterfinal game Wednesday afternoon at Bill Harris Arena. The Lady Tigers (19-7 overall) showcased its depth in the win where their bench outscored the Lady Rams 40-16. LeAnna Morrison finished with 15 points and seven rebounds. Zairra Harris notched a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Destiny Betts, the 2016-17 SIAC Women’s Basketball Player and Defensive Player of the Year recorded 11 rebounds and seven points. Four Lady Tigers finished with 10 or more rebounds each. Benedict will face the winner between No. 2 Miles and No. 3 Fort Valley State on Friday, March 3 at 1 p.m.
Albany State was led by Kala Green who finished with a game-high 16 points. Green also grabbed nine rebounds. The Golden Rams had a pair of players who recorded double-doubles including Ashley Johnson (13 points, 11 rebounds) and Elesha Foster (12 points, 14 rebounds). Albany State finished the season 8-20 overall.
Game 11 (Men): No. 5 Fort Valley State 76, No. 1 Claflin 58
Boxscore | Postgame Press Conference | Fort Valley State Recap | Claflin Recap
Fort Valley State (12-17) upset top-seeded Claflin 76-58 on Wednesday evening to advance to Friday’s semifinal game. The Wildcats had four players finish in double-figures in scoring and was led by Jalen Crawford who had 15 points. Tyler Edwards recorded 13 points ahead of James Barnes (12) and Jaylon McMillan (10). Fort Valley took a 33-21 advantage at halftime and shot 60 percent (15-of-25) from the second half. The Wildcats take on the winner between LeMoyne-Owen and Benedict on Friday, March 3 at 3:15 p.m.
Triston Thompson finished with a game-high 16 points for Claflin who finished the season 17-10 overall. Austin Lawton recorded 14 points and Benjamin Williams finished with 13.
Game 12 (Women): No. 1 Central State 75, No. 5 LeMoyne-Owen 54
Boxscore | Postgame Press Conference | Central State Recap | LeMoyne-Owen Recap
A dominating first quarter performance by the Marauders (18-7) helped them defeat LeMoyne-Owen 75-54 in Wednesday’s quarterfinal game. Central State was led by Ghameerah McCullers’ 16 points and game-leading seven assists. Rahni Bell (15) and Sierra Hartley (10) also scored in double-digits for the Marauders who advanced to Friday’s semifinals. Central State will play the winner between Claflin and Clark Atlanta on Friday, March 3 at 5:30 p.m.
The Magicians finished the 2016-17 season with an overall record of 7-23. Tenesha Wright led all players in scoring (26) and rebounds (14).
Game 13: (Men): No. 4 Morehouse 74, No. 1 Lane
Boxscore
Courtesy: SIAC