No. 5 Express Women Stung By 20-2 Run In 71-64 District Title Game Loss To No. 17 Cincinnati State

Ashley Tunstall is pressured defensively by Cincinnati State's Ericka Fitzpatrick in today's district championship game. Photo by Geoff Roberts/Owens Sports Information
Ashley Tunstall is pressured defensively by Cincinnati State's Ericka Fitzpatrick in today's district championship game. Photo by Geoff Roberts/Owens Sports Information

Game Leaders

Cincinnati State Technical & CC
Pts: Phylicia Johnson - 22
Reb: Emily Fite - 13
Ast: Hannah Stephenson - 6
Owens Community College
Pts: Kamilah Carter - 20
Reb: Kheri Motley - 8
Ast: Paige Wright - 4

Team Stats

Cincinnati State Technical & CC
Owens Community College

Field Goals

(25-59)
(20-61)

Field Goal %

42.4%
32.8%

Rebounds

51
30

Assists

14
13

Turnovers

21
13

Pts off Turnovers

11
22

2nd Chance Pts

10
7

Pts in the Paint

32
26

Fastbreak Pts

0
0

Bench Pts

13
8
full stats
Posted: Mar 08, 2014

By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information

Circleville, Ohio---The No. 5 Owens Community College women's basketball team saw a 10 point second half lead disappear in a 71-64 loss to No. 17 Cincinnati State Technical and Community College in the Region XII District I championship game.

With the win, Cincinnati State advances to the NJCAA Division II National Tournament. It will be their third appearance in the past four years.

The Express, up five at halftime, stretched their lead to 54-44 with 11:08 left on a pair of Kamilah Carter (Pioneer/Ann Arbor, Mich.) free throws. However, the Surge answered with a 12-0 run to lead by two.

Carter answered with a pair of free throws to tie it, but Cincinnati State took control of the game with an 8-0 run to lead 64-56 with 4:12 left.

The Express then got two free throws from Eboni Adams (Maple Heights/Cleveland, Ohio), a lay-up from Ashley Tunstall (Huber Heights Wayne/Dayton, Ohio) and two free throws from Paige Wright (Northrop/Fort Wayne, Ind.) to make it 64-62 with 2:59 left.

However, Cincinnati State's Phylicia Johnson, the tournament MVP, hit a jumper in the lane to push her team's lead back to four. The Surge then hit their free throws down the stretch, while the Express couldn't score.

In the second half alone, the Express shot only 5-for-27 (18.5 percent) and 0-for-12 from 3-point range. They made 17-for-21 from the foul line, while getting out-rebounded 22-17 in the half.

Carter led the Express with 20 points, while Adams (13), Tunstall (11) and Wright (10) also hit double figures. Kheri Motley (West Bloomfield/West Bloomfield, Mich.) led the Express in rebounding with eight, while Wright had a team-high four assists.

Johnson had a game-high 22 points, while Hannah Stephenson added 17. Emily Fite produced a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds.

The Express close the season with 26-3 record.

Notes

Carter closed her season with 559 points, which is the fifth most points in a single season in program history. She passed Elizabeth Harris (550 points, 1997-98) with her game today.

Today's district final between Owens and Cincinnati State marked the third time in the past four years the two teams have met for the crown. Cincinnati State has won two of the three.