Coker Downs North Georgia, Wins Southeast Regional

Dahlonega, GA – Pack your bags Cobra fans, we're headed to Pittsburgh! Coker takes down host North Georgia 64-54 in thrilling fashion to secure the school's first-ever Regional Championship and a trip to the Elite Eight.

By The Numbers:
Final Score: Coker 64, North Georgia 54

Records: Coker 29-5 (24-5 SAC), North Georgia 31-3 (16-2 PBC)

Location: Dahlonega, GA | University of North Georgia

Top Performers:
Shawnteanna Tillman: 17 points, 3 rebounds
Kristynn Knight: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals
Mya Wasswa: 14 points, 3 blocks, 2 steals
Kamari Thompson: 6 points, 12 rebounds

Shawnteanna Tillman - Southeast Region Tournament MVP
Mya Wasswa - Southeast Region All-Tournament Team
Kamari Thompson - Southeast Region All-Tournament Team 

How It Happened:

This game was everything that a regional final was cracked up to be. Coker started off the scoring with a Thompson layup, and after UNG responded with a three to take the lead, Tillman hit a three right back down the floor to make it a 5-3 Cobra lead. The first quarter was filled with ties, lead changes, and every ounce of drama, with UNG taking the 14-13 lead heading into the second quarter.

The second period was just as enthralling as the first, with a defensive battle to start us off. Neither team scored until the 7:19 mark when the Nighthawks sank a free throw to make it 15-13, followed by two more shortly after to make it 17-13. Responding to the UNG scoring run, Tillman hit a layup and Wasswa hit a big three that took the lead at 18-17. Seven more ties and/or lead changes had the Cobras take a 26-24 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The third quarter was a similar period that had the teams battling back-and-forth to start it off. UNG got the scoring going, tying it at 26, but Tillman took the lead back with a floater at 28-26. A Wasswa three made this the largest lead of the quarter, up 31-26 with 7:52 remaining. In response, the Nighthawks went on a 7-0 run to take the lead at 33-31. Six more ties and/or lead changes brought us to Wasswa scoring on a jumper to go up 39-37. Dasia Ferguson hit a floater to give them a 41-37 lead, and after UNG brought it back to 41-40, Knight hit two free throws to close out the quarter with a 43-40 lead.

The first part of the fourth quarter was yet another battle between the top two teams in the region, with the Cobras taking a five-point lead and the Nighthawks closing that to just one point at 49-48. What started to separate Coker down the stretch is their stellar defense. For the remaining 6:57 in the game, the Cobras only allowed six points and scored fifteen of their own. Clutch free throws by Knight and Thompson went a long way in this ten-point victory to send the Cobras to the Elite Eight!

Notables:
• Wasswa came into the day with 991 career points and left as the tenth 1000-point scorer in Coker Women's Basketball history.
• In their first-ever trip to the tournament, you would never know it by the way they composed themselves down the stretch in this win
• The Elite Eight now awaits the Cobras, with play starting next Monday

Up Next:
The Elite Eight will get re-seeded following the conclusion of each Sweet Sixteen matchup. The Cobras will find out their match-up and who they play tomorrow afternoon. Stay tuned to find out more.