Lady Senators claim 21st TCCAA/Region 7 Championship

GALLATIN, TN – Walters State dominated the TCCAA throughout the 2025-26 regular season, going a perfect 20-0.

So, it was only fitting that the Lady Senators won the Region 7/TCCAA Championship in dominating fashion.

Taking on three-seed Columbia State, Walters State held the Lady Chargers to just 15 first-half points, scoring 50 of their own on their way to an 85-42 win. 

With the victory, the Lady Senators improved to 27-2 overall and advanced to the NJCAA DI Basketball Tournament for the 21st time in program history. It's Walters State's second straight trip to the National Tournament.

The TCCAA/Region 7 Tournament MVP, Nyjah Gibbs had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Lady Senators in Tuesday's game. For the tournament, Gibbs had 56 points and 38 rebounds. 

Along with Gibbs, Terryauna Griffin led the team with 25 points, four steals and four blocks. Malon Smith finished a phenomenal tournament with 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds. For the tournament, Smith had 30 points, 20 assists and 21 rebounds. 

Other contributors on Tuesday were Raegan Starks with nine points and nine rebounds, Tierra Coleman with eight points and nine rebounds, Anaya Mulholland-Natt with five points and four steals, Paradise Fisher with four points, Tahara Diallo with three points and four rebounds and Mariana Calero Zuniga with two points. 

Walters State came out strong, as Gibbs and Starks scored and Smith hit a free throw to make it 5-0. It was 9-2 after Gibbs and Griffin scored, and Mulholland-Natt hit a 3-pointer with five minutes to go in the quarter to make it 14-3. Gibbs scored four more points in the quarter, and Griffin scored to make it 20-7 after one. 

In the second, the Lady Senators opened things with an 11-0 run. Smith scored, but it was all Griffin from there, scoring the next nine points to make it 31-7. Columbia broke the run with four points, but Walters State responded with nine more points to make it 40-11. Starks, Mulholland-Natt, Gibbs, Smith and Coleman all scored during the run. 

From there, the Lady Senators kept their foot on the gas. In the final 2:19, Smith made a free throw, Coleman scored, Griffin scored, Smith converted on an acrobatic and-one and Griffin made a baseline jumper that made it 50-15 at the half. 

The third quarter started similarly to the second, with Walters State scoring the first seven points. Starks scored four of them, and Griffin and Gibbs scored the other three. It was a free-throw shooting contest the rest of the way, with Gibbs making a free throw, Griffin making three and Coleman hitting one and making a layup. It was 65-26 going to the fourth.

In the fourth, the Lady Senators closed things down. Gibbs and Fisher each scored four points in the final 10 minutes, while Diallo knocked in a corner three. Smith, Coleman and Calero Zuniga each scored two points, and Starks hit a free throw.