The GCAC Tournament championship has become familiar territory for Rust College. The Lady Bearcats are the two-time defending tournament champions and made it a three-peat with a resounding 67-39 victory over Fisk Sunday afternoon.
The Lady Bearcats held the Bulldogs to just 24.1% shooting from the floor. Rust limited Fisk to single-figure scoring in half the game’s quarters and forced 19 Bulldog turnovers.
Zipporah Davis’ three-pointer at the 7:43 mark of the opening quarter gave the Bulldogs a brief 3-2 lead. It was an advantage that only lasted twenty seconds and would be the only time Fisk would lead in the contest.
After 19 consecutive points from the Bearcats put Rust up 21-3 with 1:48 to go in the opening frame, a Liz Gibbs’ layup gave Fisk their only other points in the period, as they were in a 21-5 hole after just one-quarter of play.
The Bulldogs put up more of a fight in the second quarter, scoring 16 points, but were still outscored by the Bearcats, and Rust took a 38-21 lead into halftime.
In the third quarter, the Bearcats’ defense once again put the screws to the Bulldogs’ offense, as they were limited to seven points on 3 for 18 from the floor and four turnovers and took a 55-28 lead into the game’s final frame, cruising to a comfortable win.
Kennedi Green led the champs with 15 points on 6 of 11 FG in just 17 minutes. Dekeriya Patterson and Niya McGuire added 11 points each.
No player from Fisk reached double figures. Eight-time GCAC Player of the Week and two-time NAIA National Player of the Week Maya Buchanan was held to just 9 points, with no other Bulldog player scoring more than 5 points.
Rust will find out who they will face on Thursday when the NAIA Tournament Selection Show airs. In the previous two tournaments, the Lady Bearcats have not advanced past the Regional Round. Fisk will also find out their fate on Thursday evening.
