VALLEJO, Calif. - The women's basketball team captured its first-ever Cal Pac Championship as they took down Northern New Mexico tonight, 63-58.
A layup by
Lupe Lemus got the Red Hawks on the board in the opening minute. But the Eagles took advantage of a 10-0 run to take the 15-6 lead late in the first quarter.
The Red Hawks rallied for an 8-2 run to pull within three as Ann Marshall went 6-6 from the line while Lemus added a layup in the paint to make it a 17-14 game.
Simpson stayed within striking distance in the second quarter as they exchanged buckets with the Eagles, as Marshall pulled Simpson within two as she converted one of two from the line as they headed into the half down 31-29.
A three-pointer to begin the second half by
Moriah Bowles gave Simpson the 32-31 lead.
Andrea Perez played a key role as she hit twice from beyond the arc in the third quarter to give the Red Hawks the 43-36 lead before a layup by Marshall grew Simpson's largest lead of the game to nine points.
The Eagles' last gasp came within the final 30 seconds of regulation as they pulled within three. But the Red Hawks' defense prevailed as Nichols and Bowles converted on free throws to secure the 63-58 victory.
Simpson showed grit as they faced foul trouble for much of the game, as they had two players foul out while three others had four personal fouls.
Marshall, Perez, Bowles, and Lemus all notched double-digit performances while
Monet Dunham and Nichols each posted a team-high eight rebounds.
With the win, Simpson awaits until March 5th unveiling ceremony to determine where they are headed for the NAIA opening round tournament. The opening round begins March 13th and lasts two days, as it consists of a four-team single-elimination tournament. The location reveal can be watched here on March 5th:
YouTube.com/PlayNAIA
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