Lady Senators advance to TCCAA/Region 7 Championship for fifth straight season

MEMPHIS, TN – Top-seeded Walters State advanced to the TCCAA/Region 7 Championship for the fifth straight season on Monday afternoon, defeating Roane State 63-46 in the Semifinals. 

With the victory, the Lady Senators improved to 24-5 on the season. They will play Chattanooga State in the championship at 3 pm ET on Tuesday. 

Kyra Perkins led the way for Walters State with a near double-double, finishing with 19 points and nine rebounds. Along with Perkins, Nyjah Gibbs had 12 big points and eight rebounds. 

Other contributors for Walters State were Raegan Starks with nine points, Alexis Hood with eight points and seven rebounds, Terryauna Griffin with five points and four steals, Morgan Williams with four points and five rebounds, Jahliya McDonald with three points and Ellie Linx with a big 3-pointer. 

As a team, Walters State made 21 shots and 18 free throws. Defensively, the Lady Senators held Roane State to 29.4% from the field and forced 13 turnovers. 

It was a great start for the Lady Senators in the game as Gibbs scored, Hood scored and Griffin converted an and-one to make it 7-0. Roane State got on the board with a basket, but Gibbs converted an and-one that made it 10-2. 

Roane State would climb back into the game, scoring the next seven points, but Starks made a much needed basket and McDonald hit a free throw. The two teams traded baskets for the rest of the quarter, and Walters State led 19-16 after one. 

In the second, the Lady Senators went back up seven as Griffin and Perkins scored. Roane State cut it to two with four straight points, but Perkins and Gibbs both scored to make it 27-21. The lead grew to 31-23 after a Williams basket, and the Lady Senators scored five straight to end the half and led 36-25. During that final run, McDonald scored, Perkins scored and Gibbs hit one from the charity stripe.

Walters State got their lead to 13 early in the third quarter and, after Roane scored three straight, Perkins hit a trey to make it 43-30. Perkins scored three more points in the quarter, while Linx hit a clutch three late to get the lead back to 11. Walters State led 49-41 after three quarters.

In the fourth, Roane State made one final push, getting the lead down to six with 3:30 to go. However, the Lady Senators responded as Perkins scored, Starks hit three free throws, Gibbs converted an acrobatic and-one, Perkins hit two free throws and Starks hit a free throw that was the final point of the game. In all, Walters State scored the final 11 points of the game to seal the win.