The Asbury women’s basketball team picked up two tough wins in two tough days in Pippa Passes, KY. The girls defeated Alice Lloyd in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Mideast Regional Tournament and claimed the title of Regional Champions.
With their win over Alice Lloyd College in a close 75-71 contest, the Eagles punched their ticket to the NCCAA National Tournament in Winona Lake, IN. This is the second year in a row that our women’s team will make an appearance in the National Tournament.
Junior guard Trinity Shearer continued to be a dominant scoring leader on the court with 22 points. Against Alice Lloyd, she drained five buckets from beyond the arc and went 50 percent in the field and 83 percent from the free throw line. Shearer also created many scoring opportunities, leading the Eagles with six assists.
“We have been preparing all season for this moment,” Shearer told Asbury Eagles. “I really feel like we have been underestimated all season, but that just motivated us. Everyone had an impact on the game, the crowd, coaches, players on the floor, and the players on the bench! We go so hard and practice and push each other to our full potential in order to prepare for games like this! I am so happy that we could pull out a win and bring home the regional title! Now it’s time to focus on nationals!”.
Sophomore forward Tiffani Riley recorded her first double-double of the 2023 campaign with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Riley was a brutal defensive force for the Eagles with all 10 defensive rebounds against Alice Lloyd.
Riley also told Asbury Eagles that the team has been preparing for this moment all season. Yet, there’s so much more— they’re not done yet.
“This time we are bringing home a ring and another net,” Riley said. “We couldn’t accomplish our goals without each player on the team, our coaches, and even the crowd! We got this win tonight because we never played for ourselves, and each girl on our team plays for the girl standing beside her! This is more than basketball… It’s a sisterhood! And above all of these things, we have God on our side. We have one more goal, and we will do anything to get there, but no matter what happens, we will give all the glory to God!”
ALC however did outscore Asbury in the fourth quarter, 21-17, but the Eagles were able to hold onto their win due to a strong offensive performance earlier in the game. Asbury took the victory, 75-71. With this win over Alice Lloyd in the regional tournament, Asbury moves to 17-10 for the 2022-23 season and will look to prepare for the National Tournament.