BEREA, Ky. – The most successful season in Brevard College women's basketball's NCAA era wrapped up on Tuesday evening, as the no. 4 seed Tornados (15-11) fell by a final of 54-46 to top-seed Berea College (21-5) inside of the Seabury Center in Berea, Kentucky in the quarterfinals of the USA South Women's Basketball Tournament.
Sophomore forward Makenna Parkins and graduate forward Destiny Williams each totaled double-double performances in the playoff contest, as both scored 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Senior center Avery Lockwood scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field, while freshman guard Lexi Shepard had four points and four rebounds.
Berea was led by Bailee Vanover, who knocked in 18 points and nine free throws, serving as the Mountaineers' lone double-digit scorer. Destanie Love led all players with an impressive 16 rebounds, as Berea held a commanding 52-38 advantage on the glass.
Brevard was able to slightly outshoot the Mountaineers in the low-scoring affair, hitting 31% from the field to Berea's 25%. The hosts dominated the offensive glass, hauling down 20 offensive boards to Brevard's five, while forcing the Tornados into 18 turnovers that Berea converted into 15 points. The win-or-go-home matchup featured four ties and five lead changes, with Brevard leading for 18:20 and the Mountaineers holding the advantage for 17:32 in an equally-competitive contest.
The first quarter proved neck-and-neck, with Brevard holding a slim lead for a majority of the period. Lockwood posted four points in the stanza to help the Tornados to a 10-8 advantage through one quarter of action.
Brevard used a pair of Lockwood buckets and a Parkins make to take a 16-10 lead at the 5:25 mark in the second quarter. After the Mountaineers scored, Parkins drained a 3-pointer to hand Brevard a seven-point cushion, 19-12, with 4:41 remaining in the first half of action.
A pair of Parkins made free throws at the 2:25 mark gave Brevard its largest lead of the evening, 21-13, but the Mountaineers were able to close the gap with an 8-2 scoring run as the Tornados clung to a two-point lead, 23-21.
Berea was able to put together a game-altering 10-0 scoring run in the early stages of the third quarter to take a seven-point lead, 34-27, with 3:37 left to play in the third period. Brevard cut the advantage to five points after a Williams layup and a Calli Wells 3-pointer, making the score 37-32 in favor of the hosts heading into the contest's final quarter.
Brevard cut the deficit to four points, 39-35, after a Lockwood layup with 6:28 left to play, but the Mountaineers hit a pair of clutch 3-pointers to keep the game out of Brevard's reach. The Mountaineers were able to hold off any late Tornado rally, as Brevard's season would come to a close following the eight-point defeat in the quarterfinals, 54-46.
Tornados Conclude Record-Breaking Season and Careers Wrap Up
The loss draws a conclusion to the most successful season in Brevard women's basketball's NCAA history. Head Coach Donald Hudson became the program's all-time winningest coach in the NCAA-era earlier this season, as the fifth-year Brevard alumnus led the Tornados to an NCAA record 15 wins in the 2021-22 season.
Graduate forward Williams concludes one of the most storied careers in BC's program history. The Aiken, South Carolina native is BC's all-time leader in rebounds (689), and tied the school record for career steals on Tuesday, matching Micheala Watkins '13 with 267 career steals. Williams ranks second in career points (1,302) while placing third in offensive rebounds (205) and blocks (83). Williams' double-double on Tuesday marked the 18th of her Tornado career.
Senior guard Shakirah Thompson finishes her Tornado career with 166 made 3-pointers, which is third all-time in BC's NCAA era. Thompson's 55 made long-range buckets in 2021-22 also rank third in the record books, trailing just Assistant Coach Annalee Bollinger's single-season records.
Senior center Lockwood will finish top-five in career rebounds (472), defensive rebounds (331), and offensive boards (141) for the Tornados.
This season, BC WBB won the program's most home games (eight), away games (six), and conference games (eight) in the NCAA era en route to a record-shattering 15-win season.
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 'Brevard College Athletics' on Facebook. In addition, follow 'brevardcollege' on Flickr for photos from Brevard College events
-BC-