March 5, 2005

Final Stats

Photos from the Championship win (more to follow)

Listen to Catamount Sports Network highlights from the SoCon Championship Game:

2005 SoCon Championship Highlights

2005 SoCon Champions

Chattanooga, Tenn. - On the strength of a tournament-record 45 points from Jennifer Gardner, Western Carolina claimed its first ever Southern Conference women's basketball championship with a 97-95 double-overtime victory over Georgia Southern Saturday at McKenzie Arena.

Gardner was nearly unstoppable underneath all game long, as she converted 15-of-19 field goals and 13-of-15 free throws, including the game-winning lay-up with 16 seconds remaining in the second overtime period. Gardner set SoCon tournament records for points in a game (45), points in a tournament (106), field goals in a tournament (33), free throws in a tournament (37), free throw attempts in a tournament (46) and rebounds in a tournament (43).

Georgia Southern freshman guard Tiffany Brown, who led the Eagles with 27 points, put her squad ahead with a fade-away jumper in the lane with only 17 seconds left in regulation. The Lady Catamounts clawed back, however, thanks to a floater on the baseline by Ki-Ki Glass. Glass was fouled on the play, but she missed the ensuing free throw.

GSU could not corral the rebound on the missed free throw, giving Western the ball, but when Gardner could not handle the inbounds pass, the teams headed to the first overtime period, deadlocked at 81.

In overtime, the Eagles charged ahead to an 88-83 advantage following a free throw by Lee DuBose, but once again, the Lady Catamounts fought their way back. WCU's Ashley Pellom made one-of-two free throws and stole the ball from Georgia Southern's Adrienne Early, who had grabbed the defensive rebound. Gardner's bucket cut the GSU lead to two, and following a second consecutive Eagle turnover, Gardner drained a pair from the charity stripe to knot the game once again at 88. Neither team was able to find a good look at the basket after that, sending the game to a second overtime.

The second overtime period saw the lead see-saw back and forth before Fallon Lee put GSU back ahead, 95-94, with a 17-footer from the right corner. On the ensuing possession, Gardner muscled up the eventual game-winner with 16 seconds remaining to stake WCU to a 96-95 lead that it would not relinquish.

The Lady Catamounts added another free throw, and Dana Benemon's desperation trey from the left corner missed at the buzzer, giving Western its first-ever SoCon title.

With the win, WCU (18-13) became the first team in Southern Conference history to win four consecutive tournament games en route to the tournament championship and earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The Lady Catamounts were also just the second sixth-seeded team to ever claim the SoCon title, joining Appalachian State's 1999 squad as the only two teams to share that honor. Additionally, rookie head coach Kellie Harper earned the distinction of being the first ever first-year mentor to claim the SoCon tournament crown. In addition to her victory this season, she has now been a part of four consecutive SoCon titles after being an assistant coach during Chattanooga's last three championship runs.

In addition to Brown's career-high 27 points, Georgia Southern (16-14) was led by a career-high 22 points from Benemon and 14 from DuBose. Benemon and DuBose also paced the Eagles with eight rebounds apiece.

Western's Glass also broke the record for assists in a single tournament with 28 after she tallied a career-best 14 in the championship game. Gardner, who earned tournament Most Outstanding Player accolades, also tallied a game-high 13 rebounds, including seven on the offensive end while Georgia Southern's Lee established a new career mark by dishing out nine assists.

Western Carolina will learn of its NCAA tournament opponent during the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship Selection Show, airing on ESPN at 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 13.

Write-up from ESPN.com

Write-up from cbssportsline.com

2005 SOCON ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
First Team
Jennifer Gardner, Western Carolina
B.J. Banjo, East Tennessee State.
Tiffany Brown, Georgia Southern
Dana Benemon, Georgia Southern
Lori Tanner, Western Carolina

Second Team
Lee Dubose, Georgia Southern
Candace Gibson, East Tennessee State
Sigita Maleraite, Western Carolina
Katie Hamilton, Davidson
Chevon Keith, Western Carolina

Tournament Outstanding Player
Jennifer Gardner, Western Carolina