MULTIPLEX AT CRAMTON BOWL | MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Under first-year head coach Sydney Westry, the University of Mobile Women's Basketball team is headed back to the semifinals of the SSAC Women's Basketball Championship Tournament, defeating Point University (Ga.) in quarterfinal action on Thursday morning, Feb. 29. Mobile defeated the Skyhawks 81-65, leading for all but one minute of Thursday's contest.
The win advances the overall record to 25-5 for Mobile, with the Rams returning to action on Friday afternoon in Montgomery, Ala.
On to the Semis
Mobile and Point managed strong first quarters to open postseason play on Thursday at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl, with both squads scoring 21 points each off seven made shots from the floor. However, it was the Rams who kept the hot shooting rolling in the second quarter, with Mobile adding 23 points across the second. For the Skyhawks, the offense cooled off as Point scored just 10 points off three made field goals. Mobile took a 44-31 lead to halftime, led by Braylee McMath with 14 first-half points, 11 points coming in the first quarter alone.
In the second half, Mobile began running away with the game, adding 18 points across the third quarter and 19 points in the final quarter of the game. Meanwhile, Point tallied just 13 points in the third quarter, but managed 21 through the final 10 minutes of the game. Mobile's consistent shooting kept the Rams out front, however, as Mobile earned a 16-point victory in the quarterfinals.
Overall, the Rams shot 43% from the floor in the victory, while Point only mustered a 33% shooting line. Mobile out-rebounded the Skyhawks 52-41, while adding eight made free throws in the game. Three players on the Mobile roster flirted with 20-point performances on Thursday as Braylee McMath and Miriam Oldarcre paced the team with 19 points each. Oldarcre's 19-point game came in 23 minutes from off the bench, shooting 8-for-13 from the field, and McMath picked up five rebounds and recorded five assists. Erica Jones followed with 18 points, finishing two rebounds shy of a double-double.
Other players contributed to Mobile's big win as Alanna Donaldson tallied seven points, six rebounds, and a team-high seven assists, while MacKenzie White notched nine points, six rebounds, and five assists. Overall, four Rams recorded at least five assists in the win, with Mobile finishing with 27 assists as a team. The 27-assist game is a new SSAC Women's Basketball Tournament record.
Semifinals on Friday
Mobile is set to return to action on Friday afternoon, Mar. 1 with a spot in the SSAC Women's Basketball Championship finals on the line. The third-seeded Rams will take on the No. 7 seed of Brewton-Parker College (Ga.) on Friday, with the Barons upsetting the No. 2 seed of William Carey (Miss.). Mobile swept Brewton-Parker across two games during the regular season. Tip-off on Friday is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. CT.
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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.
