MONTGOMERY, Ala. - In a game that saw the University of Mobile Women's Basketball team hold a lead for much of its entirety and never trail by more than two points, the Rams ended up falling to the Talladega College Tornadoes 80-78 in the closing seconds of the game in the quarterfinals of the SSAC Women's Basketball Championship Tournament. The loss drops Mobile's overall record to 14-11 and ends the Rams' 2021-22 season. Mobile finishes with an 8-8 conference record following the tough defeat.
The No. 6 seed Mobile look destined to upset the three-seeded Tornadoes on Thursday, Feb. 24 in Montgomery, Ala., taking the lead near the end of the first quarter and holding that lead until the final buzzer. The Rams had a 37-31 edge over Talladega at halftime. In the second half, Mobile got out to a 12-point lead near the end of the third quarter and had a 10-point advantage over the Tornadoes with just over five minutes left in the game. However, Talladega managed a offensive run to cut the deficit before having to foul Mobile in the final minute.
With the score in favor of Mobile 78-75 with just seven seconds left, Breannah McCullah had a chance to seal the win for the Rams with two free-throw attempts. Unfortunately, McCullah missed both free-throws, allowing Talladega a quick drive and deep three-point shot to tie the game with three seconds left. On the inbound attempt for Mobile, Talladega managed a steal and made layup as time expired, sealing the come from behind win for the Tornadoes by scoring five points in the just four seconds. Shocked and confused on what just happened, Mobile Head Coach Erika Stuckman and her roster saw their season come to an end on an unbelievable final sequence from Talladega.
In their final game on the court for Mobile, both Breannah McCullah and Kelsey Pinera led the Rams offensively. McCullah led the Rams with 19 points in the loss and was one rebound shy of a double-double while Kelsey Pinera recorded a season-high 19 points in her final game with Mobile. Freshman Sidney Sims also recorded 18 points in the defeat as she and Pinera each recorded four rebounds. Sims led the team with two steals and joined McCullah in leading the team with three assists a piece.
As a team, Mobile shot 42% from the floor and was outstanding from the free-throw line. The Rams made 26 free-throws out of 33 attempts in the game. However, missed free-throws in the final seconds ended up costing Mobile a date in the semifinals of the conference tournament with a favorable matchup against Brewton-Parker.
Head coach Erika Stuckman will return the majority of her roster for the 2022-23 season, losing just three players from this season. The attention for Mobile now turns to the offseason and preparations for the upcoming 2022-23 season that is slated to begin in October of 2022.
About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.
For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
