[Women's Basketball] Women's Basketball Falcons march into KCAC Championship Monday with ...
Ottawa, Kan. – All season long, the success of the Friends University women's basketball team has hinged on a gritty, stifling defensive performance that resulted in a 13-3 record when limiting the opposition under 60 points. Make that 14-3 after tonight's (Feb. 25) 57-52 victory at the Ottawa University Braves that clinches the Falcons' first KCAC Championship game appearance since the 2017-18 season.
The seventh-seeded Falcons will face the fifth-seeded University of Saint Mary Spires, who upset top-seeded Sterling College 78-66 earlier tonight.
"Another great defensive performance by our team, once we got matched up on their three point shooters I thought our interior defensive performance was phenomenal," said Friends head coach Dean Jaderston. "We played till the end and made enough plays to get the W. When we can keep the score in the 50's we're pretty successful. And now we get to go to Hartman, that's the final step."
Ottawa hit five threes in the first half compared to just two for Friends, but the Falcons managed to stay close thanks to a pair of threes and 10 points from McKenzie Shippy (SR/Woodbine, Kan. ).
Friends then took a 28-26 lead at the break following a jumper by Kassie Kinniburgh (JR/Valley Center, Kan.) in the final seconds of the second period.
The Falcons wouldn't trail the rest of the way, with Bridget Busbee (SR/Grand Prairie, Texas) nailing a three and scoring the first five points of the third quarter to push the lead up to seven.
Leading 46-41, Taylor Jackson (SO/Houston, Texas) scored inside for her seventh and eighth points of the third to again give the Falcons a seven-point lead heading to the fourth.
The Falcons then got a three by Ashlyn Ryall (SO/Friendswood, Texas) on their first possession of the fourth period to open up the only double-figure lead of the night for either side.
It was a defensive slugfest the rest of the way, with Nicole Brown scoring five straight points to help the Braves pull within five at the 7:22 mark.
Jackson then halted the brief spurt by splitting a pair at the charity stripe before Busbee turned defense into offense with a huge breakway layup off a steal to push the lead back to 54-46 with 4:14 remaining.
The Braves wouldn't go quietly and clawed within four on another score from Nicole Brown with 1:18 left.
After Gracie Sammons (SR/Aubrey, Texas) split two free throws, the Braves had a chance to make it even more interesting when Maria Moore was fouled shooting a three. Moore hit two of the three free throw attempts that left the Falcons up by one possession with 13 seconds left.
But that would be the last score of the night for the Braves, with Busbee and Jackson each hitting one of two at the foul line to give the Falcons enough to hold on for the victory.
Jackson fueled the Falcons (17-13) on both ends, leading the team with a double-double of 16 points and 16 rebounds along with three steals and two blocks.
Busbee chipped in with 12 points and Shippy finished with 10, while Sammons and Jailen Johnson (SR/Grand Prairie, Texas) each dished out three assists.
Nicole Brown paced the Braves (18-12) with a double-double of her own with 14 points and 14 boards. Cierra Brown scored 12 and led Ottawa with three assists.
Following the Braves' outburst of five threes (5-of-14) in the opening half, the Falcons put the clamps down and stifled Ottawa into just 1-14 from three-point distance in the second half.
The Braves had an advantage of 20-7 on the offensive glass, but the Falcons held the upper hand in overall rebounding (41-39) and points in the paint (30-22).
Looking ahead to Monday night, the Falcons dropped both regular season meetings to the Spires by an average of 15.5 points.
Tip-off Monday is set for 8 pm at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kan.
Friends University students will be admitted free, otherwise purchase tickets to cheer on the Falcons at the link below!