SAVANNAH, Ga. – Fort Valley State improved upon final season’s postseason on Friday afternoon. Freshman Aaniyah Allen pumped in a season-best 24 factors and powered Fort Valley State previous rival Albany State, 59-48, within the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Convention Girls’s Basketball Match Quarterfinals.
Trailing 4-3 within the first two minutes, Allen and Ayani Cockrell took turns in hitting the sport’s subsequent 4 buckets, together with an Allen 3-pointer, for an eight-point lead, 12-8, and a bonus FVSU wouldn’t hand over over the ultimate 38:02. The Wildcats led by solely 4 factors after one interval, however they tripled the margin to a dozen, 35-22, by halftime as Allen netted 10 extra tallies. ASU received the third body by three factors and it pulled inside 4 factors, 47-42, with 5:17 remaining, however Allen answered with back-to-back buckets of FVSU’s six-straight factors and went on for the victory.
With the victory, the Wildcats transfer on to Saturday afternoon’s SIAC Semifinals. It is going to be FVSU’s first Semifinal look in 12 years because it defeated Benedict Faculty (79-65) in the identical spherical, earlier than profitable the championship the next day over Tuskegee (61-52) of the 2011-12 marketing campaign.
FVSU will battle Kentucky State on this season’s Semifinals in a 12:30 p.m. matchup. The sport could be seen reside on ESPN+.
After she hit for 15 first-half factors, Allen wrapped up her season-best day with 9 extra tallies within the second half for twenty-four factors on 7 of 12 area targets, together with a pair of 3-pointers, and eight of 10 free throws. The primary-year Wildcat additionally grabbed three rebounds, handed out three assists and stole three balls.
SIAC Defensive Participant of the 12 months, Shekinah Rachel, pulled down 12 rebounds, blocked three photographs and swiped a steal to go together with 11 factors for her eleventh double-double of the season. Cockrell chipped in eight factors and three rebounds.
Off the bench Ace Stevenson completed an ideal 3 for 3 from the sector for six factors and had two boards. Amiya Allen added 5 factors and Cori Barnes hit a trey. Camryn Oneill handed out a team-best 4 assists.
Milana Holmes led the Woman Rams with 15 factors and 9 rebounds.
After FVSU rushed forward 12-4, ASU’s Keyra Peterson made a 3-point play 12 seconds later to make it again to a 5-point margin, 12-7. The Woman Rams completed the primary robust with the ultimate 4 factors to chop the distinction all the way down to 4, 15-11.
Aaniyah Allen drained a 3-pointer solely 34 seconds into the second interval and Rachel laid the ball in for push the margin to double digits for the primary time at 21-11 with 8:19 earlier than half. Elisa Saffold downed a triple nearly three minutes later to return the margin again to 4, 22-18. Main 24-20, the Wildcats ran off the subsequent eight-consecutive factors behind 4 from Aaniyah Allen and two from Stevenson and Caly Cage for the most important lead of 34-20.
Cockrell began the third quarter off with a layup 32 seconds in to tie the FVSU largest lead of 37-22. At 44-30 within the closing third-frame moments, ASU made the ultimate two scores for a 44-34 recreation heading to the fourth.
After an Aaniyah Allen layup began the ultimate 10 minutes, ASU ran off eight of the subsequent 9 factors with Juanisha Black accounting for six of them for the 47-42 distinction at 5:17 to setup FVSU’s closing reply.
