Boxscore and play-by-play
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Rookie of the
Year Kayla Smith scored 15 of her game-high 23 points in the second half as
California pulled away for a 68-55 victory over Anderson and a berth in the
NCAA Division II East Region title game.
The Vulcans (26-6) are in the regional final for the
first time since winning the national championship in 2004. Anderson,
which led by as many as nine points in the second half, ended its season at
28-4.
Lindsay Johnson and Brooque Williams both had
double-doubles for California. Johnson had 14 points and 13 rebounds
while Williams finished with 12 points and 12 boards. Shaquetta Mance
also reached double figures in scoring with 10 points, and Crystal Andrews
dished out seven assists.
Keana Boyd led the Trojans with 13 points, followed by
Nikki Anthony with 12 and Alexa Neal with 11. Anthony also had 16
rebounds and Genia Holbrook grabbed 10.
A layup by Anthony with 13:59 left in the game gave
Anderson a 46-37 lead, but California held the Trojans to only two points
over the next 9:58, going on a 20-2 run to grab a 57-48 lead. Johnson
made a steal and fed Andrews for a layup to tie the game at 48 with 9:30
left, and a jumper by Andrews 1:03 later gave the Vulcans the lead for good.
Anderson pulled to within six on a put back by Anthony
with 1:53 to go, but Smith responded with a basket 13 seconds later, and
California never led by fewer than eight the rest of the way.
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