General 2/23/2024 11:15:00 PM Braden Mottor

Lady Eagles Sweep Region Rival BJU with a Buzzer-Beater Semifinal Victory

Game Recap:
After sweeping the regular season matchups with BJU, the Lady Eagles had no plans of dropping the season sweep in the regional semifinals. With a 40-minute battle of physical, fast-paced, and tough basketball ahead the Lady Bruins and Lady Eagles faced off once more. With the quarter victories being split 2-2 it ultimately was the Lady Eagles who pulled out the 2-point buzzer-beater victory to enter the Region Championship!

After an 8-2 start to open the game, the Lady Eagles were able to maintain control throughout most of the first quarter with a 22-14 victory in the opening frame. However, with both teams shooting 40%+ in the 1^st quarter it was known tonight was set to be a night to remember. After the Lady Eagles opened the 2^nd quarter strong, a Leah Phelps three-pointer pushed the PCC lead to 14 points and allowed for some breathing room. But with a strong 20-5 run by the Lady Bruins that lead quickly disappeared, and Lady Bruins held a 44-43 lead going into halftime.

With the BJU run carrying over into the first 3 minutes of the 3^rd quarter, the Eagles found themselves on the wrong end of a 26-5 run that lasted nearly 9-minutes. But with a steal by Montse Torres and a fastbreak layup by Kristin Mentzer, that run ended and the Lady Eagles had to rediscover their home-court advantage. While BJU maintained the lead through the majority of the 3^rd quarter, the Lady Eagles forced two lead changes and two ties in the final two minutes of the 3^rd. Entering the 4^th quarter down by 1 was not where the team wanted to be, but it's where they found themselves. Although the Lady Eagles fell as far as 9 points behind, the fight never stopped. As the lead continued to shrink, the Lady Eagles found themselves back in the lead with just 1:26 left in the game. After the Bruins tied the game once again, the clutch and-one layup by Leah Phelps with 0.3 seconds remaining pushed the Lady Eagles back into the lead and ultimately into the Region Championship game with a 77-75 victory.

Along the biggest bucket of the night, Leah Phelps also led the Lady Eagles in scoring with 25 points while swiping 6 steals. Senior Kristin Mentzer put together a stat-packed night with 13 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. With her 4^th double-double of the season, Montse Torres recorded 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists in tonight's win. And the Region Player of the Year, Jenna Wolford, scored 11 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and tied third all-time with 7 steals in tonight's victory!

What's Next:
After splitting the regular season matchups with Toccoa Falls, it's only fitting the #1 and #2 teams in the Region decide their fate in the South Region Championship game! With tipoff set for 4:00 PM, the teams are set to collide for the title of 2024 South Region Champions.

To follow the Lady Eagles' post-season, follow @eaglespccwbb on Instagram. For complete coverage of all PCC Eagles teams, events, and schedules, follow @eaglespcc on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Players Mentioned

#23 Leah Phelps: G; 5' 5"; Senior

#4 Kristin Mentzer: F; 5' 7"; Senior

#23 Leah Phelps: G; 5' 5"; Senior

#21 Montse Torres: F; 5' 11"; Senior

#14 Jenna Wolford: G; 5' 5"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#23 Leah Phelps
: 5' 5"; Senior
: G

#4 Kristin Mentzer
: 5' 7"; Senior
: F

#23 Leah Phelps
: 5' 5"; Senior
: G

#21 Montse Torres
: 5' 11"; Senior
: F

#14 Jenna Wolford
: 5' 5"; Senior
: G