Lexington, Ky. – The Transylvania women's basketball team took the HCAC Championship for the fourth straight year on Saturday, defeating the Anderson University Ravens at the Beck Center, 81-51. With the win, the Pioneers added the conference tournament championship on top of their regular season conference title.
Transylvania made a potent statement out of the gate, coming out on a 16-0 run to start the contest. Anderson was able to hit a three pointer to break the ice, but the Pioneers quickly piled on and led 22-3 at the 2:30 mark. Riding the sizzling hot shooting of Kennedi Stacy, who had 21 points in the first half alone on 8-11 from the field, Transy had full control. With the Pioneers primarily playing through Stacy, Madison Kellione notched 5 assists in the first half, along with 12 points.
The Pioneers clamped down on the defensive side as well, holding Anderson to 7-24 shooting in the first half. Grace Shope made a big impact with 6 rebounds in the first half, and Dasia Thornton added 5 boards herself. The Pioneers went into the first half up 50-17.
In the second half, Transy continued to assert themselves across the floor. The Ravens went on an 8-0 run late in the third quarter, but the Pioneers responded. Back to back blocks from Grace Bringard, with threes from Samantha Cornelison and Sydney Wright piled onto the lead. Sadie Wurth also hit several key shots in an outstanding performance from the bench players. Despite Anderson's run, Transylvania led 69-31 entering the fourth quarter.
Cornelison dribbled out the ball in the final seconds to clinch an 81-51 victory, ending a commendable run from the Ravens who reached the championship as the #6 seed. Receiving conference honors, Madison Kellione was named to the All-Tournament team along with Kennedi Stacy, who was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
Transylvania took another step in their undefeated campaign and moved to 24-0 on the unforgettable 2021-2022 season. The Pioneers claim the HCAC Automatic Qualification bid to the 2022 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship Tournament, and will learn their opponent on Monday February 28 at 2:30 pm during the selection show. Stay tuned on transysports.com for more details.
For more on Transylvania women's basketball, follow @TUWBX on Twitter.
