Woods Uproots Bruins in Final Seconds

Mark McGee | 03/06/2008

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Lipscomb senior Catie Woods knocked down a jumper from the corner with 11 seconds remaining, and the Lady Bisons dethroned the defending Atlantic Sun Conference Champion Belmont Bruins, 73-72 in the quarterfinals of the General Shale Brick Atlantic Sun Basketball Championship Thursday evening.

Catie Woods scored 11 points, with the most important two coming in the final seconds of a 73-72 Lipscomb win. Photo courtesy of ASunPhotos

Lipscomb (10-21) won its fourth consecutive game, a streak that started with a 16-point win over the Bruins in Belmont’s Curb Event Center, despite trailing by as many as 11 points in the second half. After Amber Rockwell drained a jump shot with 11:37 left to give the Bruins a 56-45 lead, the Lady Bisons used a 15-4 run over the next four minutes to knot the contest at 60.

In the back-and-forth final seven minutes Belmont reestablished and maintained its lead largely thanks to its free throw shooting. The Bruins were the best free throw shooting team in the Atlantic Sun in 2007-08, but missed their final three free throws in the final minute. The final miss came with 19 seconds remaining and the Bruins clinging to a one-point lead. Shaunda Strayhorn missed the front end of a one-and-one, and Jillian Partin's rebound set the stage for Woods’ heroics.

The Bruins (14-16) led throughout the contest, and built a 10-point lead in the first half, but foreshadowing the dramatic conclusion, Lipscomb rallied back then as well. After Belmont took a 30-20 lead with just over four minutes to play in the opening frame, the Lady Bisons ended the half on a 12-5 run, capped by Valerie Bronson's three-pointer at the buzzer to pull Lipscomb within 35-32 at intermission.

Partin led the Lady Bisons with 18 points and eight rebounds on the night, closely followed by Katie Rollins' 17 point, six rebound effort. Woods finished 11 points, none bigger than the final two. Jessica Bobbit led Belmont with a career-high 25 points and a game-high nine rebounds.

Lipscomb advances into the semifinals for the first time since winning the tournament in 2004, and will face top-seeded ETSU.