#1 Southern Virginia Escapes Upset in Overtime by #9 Briarcliffe

Broken Arrow, OK - #9 Briarcliffe came into the second day of the 2008 USCAA Women's Basketball National Championship hot, but it wasn't enough to hold off #1 seeded Southern Virginia University.

With 2:45 left in the second half, Southern Virginia was down by 6 points.  The Lady Sea Hawks of Briarcliffe carried momentum from last night's 76-53 win over #8 UC Clermont into a game that they were so close to winning.  However, SVU had several defensive stands and with :25 seconds left on the clock, Jenne Comp hit two clutch free throws to tie the game at 68.  Briarcliffe, with about 18 seconds left, held out for the last shot, but was unable to convert with a tough press by Southern Virginia.

In overtime, Southern Virginia showed why they had been projected #1, jumping out to a quick lead against Briarcliffe and never looking back.  The Knights of Southern Virginia outscored Briarcliffe 13-3 in overtime, leading to an 81-71 final.

In a game where neither team was spectacular from the field (SVU shooting 36.8% and Briarcliffe 34.7%), free throws were ever so important.  Southern Virginia averaged 93.3 % from the line in the second half.  The advantage brought by depth on the bench also contributed, as SVU had 25 points off the bench in comparison to Briarcliffe's 3 points from the bench.

USCAA four-time All-American, Lynette Adams Schroeder, exploded for 35 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 assists.  Also big for the Knights were Honorable Mention All-American, Tricia Dixon, who had 19 points, and Chelsea Whetstone who posted 11 points.  For Briarcliffe, Tabrese Harris had 23 points and 8 rebounds, Elisha Raiford had 16 points, and Leona Virgo posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Briarcliffe will move to the consolation bracket on Friday, where they will play the loser of #5 Bennett College and #4 Concordia College Selma.  Southern Virginia plays the winner of that game Friday at 6:00pm in the Semi-finals.