COKER SECURES REGULAR SEASON SAC CHAMPIONSHIP IN WIN OVER LMU

Hartsville, SC – It's official - your Cobras are the 2024-25 South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball Regular Season Champions! They locked up this incredible finish with a 62-53 win over the Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters here inside the DeLoach Center.

By The Numbers:

Final Score: Coker 62, LMU 53
Records: Coker 24-2 (20-2 SAC), LMU 11-14 (10-12 SAC)
Location: Hartsville, SC | DeLoach Center

Top Performers

Shawnteanna Tillman: 23 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals
Mya Wasswa: 14 points, 4 steals

How It Happened:

This game was one that had you on the edge of your seat for the entirety of the contest, having its fair share of drama and excitement. Early in the first quarter, it was a little bit of back and forth and lots of stops on the defensive end. LMU put their foot on the gas by playing tough defense and shooting the ball extremely well early on. They went on a run and took a 17-6 lead heading into the second quarter.

In the second, the Cobras truly came alive on both sides of the ball. Down eleven at 19-8, the Cobras went on a 14-0 run to take the lead at 22-19. This run was sparked by a huge three from Tillman to cut it to single digits and was capped off by a Diamond Jackson made lay-up. The Cobras didn't allow a field goal for the rest of the half after the Railsplitters took that 19-8 lead, and they headed into the break with a five-point lead up 26-21.

The beginning of the second half was a battle, to say the least. That gap stayed the same for the most part, but three minutes in the Railsplitters started to threaten. They hit a shot with 7:01 on the clock in the third to bring it within two, but the Cobras hit two big shots after that (Wasswa and Kamari Thompson) to stretch the lead to six. Up five with under a minute to go, LMU hit a big three to bring this one within two at 40-38 heading into the final quarter of play.

Tillman had the first four points of the quarter for either team, hitting a pair of free throws and a lay-up to extend the lead to 44-38. The Railsplitters then surged back and scored the next five points to bring it to a one-point game with 7:22 left on the clock. With the score at 48-46, LMU took the lead with 4:41 on the clock on a made three to put it at 49-48. At that point in the game, it seemed as if the entire arena was on the edge of their seats. Instead of cowering back and folding in the big moment, the Cobras responded in a huge way. Just a minute later, Tillman hits what was probably the biggest shot of the day, re-taking a two-point lead on a made three and starting a 7-0 run to put the Cobras up six at 55-49. The Cobras used that run to finish out the game at the free throw line, with the score at the buzzer reading 62-53.

Notables

• The Cobras cut down the nets after the conclusion of the men's game, honoring their first-ever SAC Regular Season Title
• Tillman is a candidate for SAC Player of the Week this week, recording a 30-point game on Wednesday along with her 23-point performance today to seal the title
• Today was senior day for the Cobras, as Wasswa, Jackson, Mariah Mitchem, and Janay Legagneur were honored before the game. We thank you for all you've done for the program and the institution!

Up Next

The Cobras will head off on the road to finish their season, traveling to Wingate and Carson-Newman on Wednesday and Saturday, respectively. The Wednesday game will tip off at 5:30 PM ET and the Saturday game will tip off at 2:00 PM ET, so make sure to catch the games in person or tune into FloSports!