KINGSPORT, Tenn. (Feb. 24, 2021) – The Truett McConnell University women's basketball team traveled to Kingsport, Tennessee, where they faced the three-time Appalachian Athletic Conference Regular Season Champions, Bryan College, in the quarterfinals of the AAC Tournament. The Lady Bears showed their grit in four hard-fought quarters, unfortunately coming up short in the end with a final score of 77-63. The No. 1 Lions extended their win streak to 10 as they head into the semifinals with a record of 13-0, 15-2 AAC, while TMU concludes their 2021 season with a record of 13-14, 9-13 AAC.
Most notable, the Lady Bears were outscored by more than five points throughout each quarter.
COACH'S COMMENTS
"It was a good game, we came out and competed in the beginning," says, Head Coach Tiek Fields. "We got a lot of good shots around the basket early, but in order to beat Bryan you have to get shots in crunch time and we ran out of gas to be able to do that."
We're looking forward to wrapping up this year's recruiting class and building off the success we had this year for next season."
PLAY-BY-PLAY
In the first quarter, TMU gave the Lions a run for their money as they combatted each basket with one of their own, capable of stealing the lead at the seven-minute mark after a Quan Holton shot in the paint (9-7) and a Re'Tavia Floyd bucket to make the score 11-7. Bryan made the game even (11-11) with five minutes remaining and used the gained momentum to take back the lead to end the quarter (15-17).
The Lady Bears tied the game 17-17 at the start of the second from a shot in the paint from another Holton, continuing to keep the game close in reach. A Floyd 3-pointer put TMU up by one (22-21), immediately combatted with a bucket from Bryan (22-23), but the four-minute mark saw Sierra Kendall follow up with back-to-back shots in the paint to give TMU the lead (25-23). The Lions put pressure on the defense in the final minutes to secure the lead at halftime (27-33).
The third quarter saw TMU working from behind as Bryan climbed the board inch by inch. Another Floyd 3-pointer put the Lady Bears four away from bridging the gap, their best opportunity of the quarter (40-44), but a resilient Lions offense held tight onto the lead as they headed into the fourth (45-54). Bryan gained speed in the final quarter, forcing the Lady Bears to work hard on defense, ultimately clinching the win by 14.
BY THE NUMBERS
Floyd led the way with 21 points, including five 3-pointers, along with six rebounds. Kendall earned a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Holton had 12 points with four rebounds and four assists. Junior Aisya Davis added five points and four rebounds, followed by fellow juniors Sydney Rumble who had four points with a single steal and Camilla Howell, who had five rebounds with three assists.
Floyd and Kendall both individually  finished the season ranked in several categories nationally. Floyd ranks fifth in the NAIA in total scoring (446), eighth in total 3-pointers made (66) and 18th in total steals (60). Kendall ranks eighth in total rebounds (239), eighth in total blocks (57) and 13th in blocks per game (2.192).
