Tornados Win Fifth Straight to Earn First-Ever Trip to USA South Postseason

Final	1	2	3	4	T
Huntingdon (5-9,5-9 USA Sout)	18	8	15	15	56
Brevard (6-5,6-5 USA Sout)	13	14	14	23	64

Game Leaders

Huntingdon

Pts: Alina Shoemake - 15

Reb: Ry Whetstone - 6

Ast: Alina Shoemake - 6

Brevard

Pts: Destiny Williams - 24

Reb: Destiny Williams - 16

Ast: Deja Riddick - 4

Team Stats

Huntingdon

Brevard

Field Goals

(23-65)

(24-51)

Field Goal %

35.4%

47.1%

Rebounds

Assists

Turnovers

Pts off Turnovers

2nd Chance Pts

Pts in the Paint

Fastbreak Pts

Bench Pts

full stats

Posted: Feb 27, 2021

BREVARD, N.C. – The Brevard College women's basketball team (6-5, 6-5 USAS) earned its first-ever trip to the USA South Conference postseason with a 64-56 win over Huntingdon (5-9, 5-9 USAS) in the regular-season finale held Saturday afternoon at the Boshamer Gymnasium. The win marked the fifth straight victory for the Tornados who defeated the Hawks for the second time in as many days.

With the win, Brevard punched its ticket to the USA South West Division Tournament as the four-seed. The Tornados will play at either Maryville or Piedmont in the tournament's semifinal to be held Wednesday, March 3, with the West Division Championship scheduled for Saturday, March 6. It marks the first postseason USA South Conference appearance for any sport at Brevard College as the Tornados became full-time USA South members and eligible for conference postseason play in the 2020-21 academic year. The postseason appearance also marks the first for the women's basketball program over its 14-season stretch in the NCAA-era.

Senior Destiny Williams set a new career high in her final game at the Boshamer Gymnasium with 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting. Williams also pulled down a season-high 16 rebounds, including four offensive boards, en route to her ninth double-double in a Tornado uniform. The Aiken, South Carolina native also dished out three assists along with one steal and one blocked shot.

Deja Riddick, a senior from Norfolk, Virginia, scored a season-high 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field and a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line. Remarkably, 15 of Riddick's 17 points came in the second half, with nine points scored in the fourth quarter. Riddick also registered a team-high four assists and pulled down six rebounds.

Freshman Makenna Parkins came off the bench to add six points and seven rebounds, while senior Shakirah Thompson registered six points on two made 3-pointers.

Huntingdon jumped out to a 10-0 lead to start the contest, blanking the Tornados for the opening 3:15 of the first quarter until a layup by Williams off a Riddick assist gave BC its first score. The Hawks would maintain its lead until the 4:45 mark of the second period when a 3-pointer by Thompson gave Brevard its first lead at 23-22. After multiple lead changes, BC would take a 27-26 lead into intermission.

The second half began with an 8-0 outburst for Huntingdon as the Hawks opened up a 34-27 lead until a Riddick layup snapped the scoring run. Brevard would battle back, before several tied scores left the game knotted at 41-41 at the end of three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, the game was tied once again 50-50 with 4:30 to play before another 3-pointer by Thompson off an assist by Riddick gave BC the lead. Riddick then scored seven points in the game's final two minutes to lead the Tornados on a 14-6 run down the final stretch en route to the victory.

The highly competitive game featured nine lead changes and six tied scores. Brevard outshot the Hawks 47% to 35% from the field and were especially effective in transition, outscoring Huntingdon 17-0 in fast-break points.

The Tornados, under the direction of Head Coach Donald Hudson and Assistant Coach Taylor Spangler, will now turn their attention to the USA South Conference West Division tournament Stay tuned to bctornados.com and Brevard College Athletics social media outlets for more information on the event as it becomes available.

In an abundance of caution due to the COVID-19 pandemic, spectators will not be permitted to attend USA South Conference men's and women's basketball contests this season. Members of participating teams, game officials, and other essential personnel relevant to event operations will be the only individuals permitted into the venue for 2020-21 USA South basketball games. The policy is in accordance with the USA South Conference's policy announced on January 7, 2021.

To follow the latest news and updates surrounding Brevard College Athletics, follow the Tornados on Twitter and Instagram @bctornados, subscribe to 'Brevard College Tornados' on YouTube, follow 'Brevard College Tornados' on SoundCloud, and like 'Brevard College Athletics' on Facebook. In addition, follow 'brevardcollege' on Flickr for photos from Brevard College events.

-BC-