Buffs take down top seed in AAC tournament
A team effort that saw five Buffaloes in double figures helped the Milligan College women’s basketball team stun No. 13 Bryan College, the top seed in the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament, 75-67 in the quarterfinals Thursday at MeadowView Conference Resort and Convention Center.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Milligan
12-18
|
13 | 17 | 21 | 24 | 75 |
|
No. 13 Bryan
28-2
|
22 | 18 | 17 | 10 | 67 |
Team Stats
No. 13 Bryan
| Game Statistics | Milligan | No. 13 Bryan |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (22-56) | (25-76) |
| Field Goal % | 39.3% | 32.9% |
| Rebounds | 44 | 44 |
| Assists | 12 | 9 |
| Turnovers | 14 | 5 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 6 | 13 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 10 | 9 |
| Pts in the Paint | 37 | 44 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 2 | 7 |
| Bench Pts | 25 | 10 |
KINGSPORT, Tenn. (Feb. 27, 2020) – A team effort which saw five Buffaloes in double figures helped the Milligan College women's basketball team stun No. 13 Bryan College, the top seed in the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament, 75-67 in the quarterfinals Thursday at MeadowView Conference Resort and Convention Center.
The win snapped Bryan's 15-game winning streak after the Lions had posted a regular season record of 28-1 (24-0 AAC). Bryan went previously undefeated in its last 56 matchups against AAC competition and had won each of the last two AAC postseason tournaments.
Milligan moved into the semifinals of the tournament and will face Allen University Friday at 6 p.m. with a chance to play for the AAC tournament title Saturday at 3 p.m.
Milligan battles back, dominates closing minutes
Milligan led only one time, 3-2, in the first three quarters and trailed by as many as 15 during that period until storming back with one of their most dominating efforts of the season in the final quarter.
Emily Kiser provided an initial spark early with a pair of made threes in a span of two minutes, the latter marking the game's first tie with just over eight minutes left. After Bryan went back out front over the next two minutes, it was Kaely Gose who tied the game with a made 3-pointer with just under six minutes left.
Still later, Lily Griffith made a pair of clutch free throws near the three-minute mark to tie the game, and then Halie Padgett made a couple of baskets inside of two minutes to push Milligan out to their final lead. Griffith's free throws started a 13-2 run the Buffaloes used to close the game.
Milligan's key baskets were instrumental in the win, and the Buffaloes also earned the win on the defensive end. They held Bryan to 3-for-19 shooting in the final 10 minutes, including 0-for-8 from the perimeter. Meanwhile, Milligan went 5-for-11 from the field in the fourth quarter, including 3-for-6 from behind the arc.
By the numbers
Padgett and Gose led the Buffs in scoring and rebounding, posting their eighth and 15th double-double of the season, respectively. Padgett posted 15 points and 10 rebounds; Gose posted 14 points and 13 rebounds.
Following was Griffith and Kiser with 11 points apiece, and Hannah Wyrick with 10. Gose and Wyrick each contributed three assists.
Up next
Milligan plays Allen Friday at 6 p.m. in the first of two women's semifinal games. Milligan lost both matchups to Allen this season: 53-44 on the road before 81-65 at home.