• The CACC quarterfinals took center stage on Tuesday and, for the first time since divisions were established in the loop for the 2007-’08 season, one division swept the round. It was a banner day for the South Division with their four teams heading to Caldwell for the semifinals after prevailing by an average of more than seventeen points. Let’s start with the lowest seeds and work up…
• Amanda McGrogan exploded for a career-high 30 points (10-22 FG, 3-7 3FG, 7-8 FT) and added seven rebounds to lead #4 South seed Goldey-Beacom to a 75-60 win at #1 North seed Dominican. This game was air-tight for the first three quarters but the last frame was all Lightning as they booked their semifinal spot with a flourish. The Chargers led 38-35 at the break and held a 55-53 edge with 1:08 left in the third period after a Jasmine Gee (18 points; 7-10 FG) three-point play but they scored only five points the rest of the way. Tanner Turner-Rush (13 points, 6 caroms) sank a trey to give GBC a 56-55 lead after three quarters and GBC went off from there, out-scoring DC 18-3 over the first 8:04 of the fourth quarter to seize a 74-58 lead and, basically, the game. The overall 21-3 tear was the decisive wedge of the night and sent the Chargers home for the season, snapping their six-game win streak coming into the playoffs. Alanna Speaks (13 points, 11 boards) double-doubled for Goldey-Beacom, which took superb care of the ball (only 5 turnovers as opposed to DC’s 15) and posted a 21-6 plus in points-of-mistakes. Korina Guerra (17 points) and Samantha McCluthcy (12 points, 12 rebounds) filled the stat sheet for the Chargers along with Gee. GBC moves on to face Jefferson in Saturday’s second CACC semifinal.
• Georgian Court, the #3 South seed, dominated the third quarter and the opening segment of the fourth stanza to turn back #2 North seed Caldwell, 80-63, and earn their semifinal spot. The Cougars (the neutral site host of the CACC’s final four weekend) held a slim 31-29 halftime lead but the Lions put up a 9-2 spurt to start the second half (GCU, 38-33, 6:29) and never looked back. Further runs of 7-0 and 6-0 (the latter to close the frame) made it a 53-42 GCU lead at the three-quarter mark and they rattled off the initial seven points of the fourth quarter to complete a 13-0 binge and make it 60-42. Another 6-0 spell made it a 67-45 game with 5:09 left, meaning the Lions out-scored Caldwell 38-14 over a fifteen minute span. Jada Atchison (25 points; 6-10 3FG) was the top-scoring Lion but she had plenty of help in the likes of Safiyyah Lee (16 points, 13 boards), Destiny Thompson (15 points, 7 rebounds) and Carna Prokic (10 points) as GCU was the better unit from the floor (46%-38% FG), three-point land (8-5) and at the line (GCU 16-23; Caldwell 12-17 FT). Tina Lebron (20 points; 4-10 3FG) and Andie Lennon (14 points) contributed double digits for the Cougars but it wasn’t enough to slow the Lions. Georgian Court, playing in the post season for the first time since 2003, moves on to face the University of the Sciences in Saturday’s first CACC semifinal.
• Order was kept in Philadelphia as the top two South Division seeds won easily, starting with #2 Jefferson, a 74-50 victor over Post. The Rams did have to repel a sticky Eagles team for more than a half, leading 31-24 at the intermission and by a 31-30 count when they came to life. A 16-2 spree turned a one-point game into a 47-32 contest with 1:31 left in the third quarter, taking the wind out of the Eagles sails. The Rams led by double digits the rest of the way, really opening things up with an 11-2 jaunt to begin the fourth period (62-38). Alynna Williams (14 points), Beverly Kum (12 points), Sabria Lytes (10 points; 5-6 FG) and Caitlyn Cunningham (10 points) all submitted double digits and two others had nine points each in a balanced Jefferson attack which shot 52% overall. The Rams also won the turnover battle (16-8, leading to a 26-7 edge in points-off-TO’s) and held the Eagles to 32% from the field. Sha’Raya Haines (12 points) and Gabriela Middleton (10 points, 9 boards) led the way for Post but they were out-scored in all four periods, and by increasing amounts (1, 6, 8 and 9). Jefferson next faces Goldey-Beacom in the CACC semifinals on Saturday.
• The University of the Sciences, the #1 South seed, pulled away from #4 North seed Felician in the fourth quarter to collect a 71-57 win, their seventeenth triumph in a row. The defending CACC champions were topped by the dominant trio of Irisa Ye (25 points), Jordan Vitelli (19 points; career-best 9 boards; 10-12 FT) and Alex Thomas (10 points, 5 assists) and led after one (17-15), two (33-24) and three (50-41) periods. Vitelli scored the first five points in the last quarter, igniting a 10-2 run which made it a 60-43 game (5:26) and extinguished the last of the Golden Falcons hopes. Kristin Smith (15 points, 8 boards), Kayla Diaz (14 points), Bionca Chambers (11 points) and Kameron Stone (11 rebounds) did the work for Felician but they were second-best in most team categories, including shooting (42%-32% FG), three-pointers (Sciences 10-28; Felician 6-22 3FG) and free throws (Sciences 21-28; Felician 11-15 FT). Sciences face Georgian Court in their CACC semifinal match on Saturday.