BREVARD, N.C. - The Brevard College women's basketball team (14-10) - which is making its second-consecutive trip to the postseason and hosting its first playoff game of the program's NCAA-era - is preparing to take on Maryville College on Saturday at 6 p.m. inside of the Boshamer Gymnasium in the first round of the 2022 USA South Conference Women's Basketball Tournament.
The Tornados, who clinched the four-seed in the West Division by virtue of their 71-68 home win last Saturday over Huntingdon College, will host the fifth-seeded Maryville Scots (11-13, 7-8 USAS) in the first round of the tournament. The winner will advance to take on West Division top-seeded Berea College on Tuesday in Berea, Kentucky.
NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Gates for Saturday's postseason battle will open at 4:30 p.m. Admission for the tournament matchup is $8 for adults and $3 for faculty, staff, and students of Brevard College, as well as for children and senior citizens.
Campus Activities Board is sponsoring the first 150 Brevard College students who show up to support BC WBB, as the first 150 students in attendance will receive free admission. The first 50 BC faculty and staff members will also be admitted into the game free of charge.
TORNADOS AND SCOTS MEET FOR THIRD TIME THIS SEASON
Brevard and Maryville will square off for the third time this season, and the second time in a span of six days, in Saturday's first-round contest. The two teams split the season series with each other, as Brevard won in Maryville, Tennessee on February 9, 65-63, while the Scots took game two in Brevard last Sunday, 75-71.
In the first meeting between these two west division foes, BC used a late 8-0 run in the final minutes of play and held onto its advantage for the two-point victory.
In the win, Brevard sophomore guard Calli Wells came off the bench to score a career-high 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and 2-of-2 shooting from behind the arc.
Junior Melvia Seymore came off the bench to score 13 points, shooting 5-of-6 from the field and sinking three 3-pointers. Seymore also dished out three assists and blocked a shot in an active 24 minutes of reserve action.
Senior center Avery Lockwood led BC on the glass with eight rebounds. Graduate Destiny Williams recorded nine points, five rebounds, two steals, and two blocked shots. Sophomore Makenna Parkins registered eight points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals.
Game number two, which was held immediately following Brevard's tournament-clinching win last Saturday vs. Huntingdon, went in favor of the Scots by a final score of 75-71. It was Maryville who was able to flip the script, using hot shooting in the fourth quarter to ultimately take the win. The Scots, who were trailing 53-47 at the end of the third period, came back by outscoring Brevard 28-18 in the game's final period as Maryville shot 58% from the field down the stretch.
Williams led the Tornados with 26 points on 11 field goals and three made 3-pointers. The graduate student also pulled down 10 rebounds to record the 16th double-double in her career. The scoring output also marked the 16th 20-plus point performance in her career.
Defensively, Williams proved to be a force as well as she registered eight steals to match a career-high. It marked the third time in her career and the second time this season that Williams recorded eight steals.
Williams is winding down her stellar five-year playing career at Brevard, as the Aiken, South Carolina native is at or near the top of BC's NCAA-era record books in most statistical categories. The graduate student is BC's all-time leader in rebounds (666), surpassing the previous record-holder Madison Lenox's 646 career boards. Williams ranks second in career points (1,278) and steals (262), while placing third in offensive rebounds (202) and blocks (79).
Additionally, Williams is just the second Tornado to surpass 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists and 200 steals at Brevard College, joining former All-American Lenox as the only two Tornados to accomplish that feat.
The winner of Saturday's much-anticipated contest will travel to Berea on Tuesday, February 22 for the USA South Tournament Quarterfinals.
To follow the latest news and updates surrounding Brevard College Athletics, follow the Tornados on Twitter Instagram @BCTornados, subscribe to 'Brevard College Tornados' on YouTube and SoundCloud, and follow 'Brevard College Tornado Athletics' on Facebook. In addition, follow 'brevardcollege' on Flickr for photos from BC events.
-BC-
