Salisbury, N.C. —- The Catawba College women's basketball claimed its first regional championship in program history Monday night, finishing the game on a 24-4 run to come from behind and defeat Georgia Southwestern 75-65 to punch its ticket to the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Elite Eight. The Catawba Indians improve to 28-5 overall, while the Hurricanes finish their season at 26-7.
Lyrik Thorne scored 33 points on 9-of-15 shooting and 5-for-9 from three-point range to earn the tournament's Most Outstanding Player recognition. Janiya Downs poured in 20 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Sara McIntosh was Catawba's third all-tournament performer, grabbing seven boards. Ava Jones led GSW with 18 points.
Catawba shot 47 percent from the field and made 10 three-pointers at a 40 percent clip. The Catawba Indians were 8-for-13 in the fourth quarter alone, including knocking down five three-pointers while holding the Hurricanes to just 3-of-11 from the field.
The first quarter was about as tight as it could get, with five ties and four lead changes in the first 10 minutes alone. Georgia Southwestern held the quarter's largest lead — three points at two different times.
Catawba was without a lead for nearly the first half of the second quarter, but the Catawba Indians went on a 7-0 run to turn a 24-21 deficit into a 28-24 lead at the 5:07 mark. Catawba opened up an eight-point lead after a three-pointer from Miyah Dubose with 36 seconds left in the half. GSW answered back with a three of their own to cut their halftime deficit to 39-34.
Georgia Southwestern blitzed Catawba in the third quarter, going on a 17-0 run across nearly six minutes, turning a seven-point deficit into a 59-49 lead with 22 seconds left in the quarter. In the closing seconds of the quarter, Jones fouled Thorne on a three-pointer, sending the Hurricanes' star to the bench with four fouls. GSW led 59-51 at the quarter break.
GSW scored the opening bucket of the fourth quarter, but received a technical foul while leading 61-51. Thorne knocked down both technical free throws and drained a three-pointer, sparking a 13-0 Catawba run in just over two minutes to take a 64-61 lead after Thorne drilled another long-range three. Georgia Southwestern scored just two more baskets the rest of the way, as the Catawba Indians held the Hurricanes to just six fourth-quarter points. In the final 9:50, Catawba out-scored GSW 24-4 to earn the comeback win.
Catawba heads to St. Joseph, Mo. next week for the NCAA DII national quarterfinals hosted at Northwest Missouri State University. The team learns its seed and national quarterfinal opponent tomorrow.
Southeast Regional All-Tournament Team
F Kayla Langley, Georgia Southwestern
G Ava Jones, Georgia Southwestern
C Sara McIntosh, Catawba
F Janiya Downs, Catawba
G Lyrik Thorne, Catawba - Most Outstanding Player
