Members of the Southern Utah University women's basketball team cheer before the start of their Western Athletic Conference semifinal win over Grand Canyon at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., Friday, March 10, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Western Athletic Conference, St. George News
ST. GEORGE — It took Cherita Daugherty a mere 18 seconds to pick up where she left off and hit Southern Utah University’s first bucket of the game Friday afternoon.
Fittingly, it was a 3-pointer, from just about the same distance as the buzzer-beater she drained Wednesday night to propel the No. 2-seeded Thunderbirds past No. 7 New Mexico State 62-61 and into the semifinals of the Hercules’ Tires Western Athletic Conference women’s basketball tournament.
And now, SUU is in the finals.
Daugherty and the Thunderbirds defeated No. 3 Grand Canyon 64-51 to set up Saturday’s title tilt with No. 4 California Baptist at 4:30 p.m. MT at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The two teams met Feb. 28 in Cedar City with Southern Utah prevailing 83-75.
The winner of Saturday’s game, however, will earn a trip to The Dance — the 68-team field that is the Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament.
In Friday’s semifinal, Southern trailed only for about 90 seconds midway through the first quarter. Megan Jensen, who led the Thunderbirds with 22 points and eight rebounds, hit a pair of fast-break layups, a short jumper and a pair of charities to help SUU grab a 16-12 edge after one quarter.
Jensen kept it going as SUU extended the lead in the second stanza as she hit a pair of buckets. Grand Canyon, however, called timeout and responded with a 6-0 run to make it 20-18 before Thunderbird Daylani Ballena hit a pull-up jumper at the 5:59 mark to make it 22-18.
Both teams went cold for the next 3:20 before Lizzy Williamson and Jensen each hit layups to push the cushion to 26-18, and by halftime, SUU led 31-20.
The Thunderbirds extended the lead to 36-20 as the third quarter began, Tomikia Whitman drilling a 3-ball and Jensen adding an offensive putback. Then, over a 2-minute span, Whitman, Jensen, Daugherty and Alexa Lord all scored, and SUU went up 46-28 at the 4:35 mark of the third.
A 51-31 edge came by way of a Daugherty layup and Samantha Johnston triple, but Grand Canyon closed the quarter on a 6-0 run, compliments of Alaina Harper and Tiarra Brown.
SUU kept the Antelopes at bay for most of the fourth quarter, Grand Canyon getting no closer than 60-48 with 2:28 to play.
The Thunderbirds shot 45% (23-51) on twos and 31% (5-16) on threes. And their defense stymied the Antelopes, limiting them to 37% (22-59) on field goals and 19% (3-16) on triples. SUU also outrebounds Grand Canyon 39-27 — 11-8 on the offensive glass.
Statistics courtesy of Western Athletic Conference.
Southern Utah's Lizzy Williamson (15) defends Grand Canyon's Naudia Evans during the Thunderbirds' win at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., Friday, March 10, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Western Athletic Conference, St. George News
Southern Utah's Cherita Daugherty shouts directions to teammates as she runs the Thunderbirds' offense. Daugherty had 16 points to help SUU defeat Grand Canyon 64-51 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., Friday, March 10, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Western Athletic Conference, St. George News
Southern Utah's Megan Jensen scores two of her game-high 22 points in the Thunderbirds' Western Athletic Conference women's basketball 64-51 semifinal win over Grand Canyon at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., Friday, March 10, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Western Athletic Conference, St. George News
The Southern Utah University student section cheers on the women's basketball team at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., Friday, March 10, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Western Athletic Conference, St. George News
Members of the Southern Utah University women's basketball team cheer before the start of their Western Athletic Conference semifinal win over Grand Canyon at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., Friday, March 10, 2023 | Photo courtesy of Western Athletic Conference, St. George News
Women's basketball tournament bracket courtesy of the Western Athletic Conference.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vin Cappiello has been involved in journalism in various capacities since age 16, when his first story was published in the Rockland County Journal-News in suburban New York CIty. He has worked at newspapers in Ohio, Idaho and Wyoming and now serves as evening editor of St. George News. Vin and his wife Lisa have three grown children: Gabriella, Sara and Maggie. Vin and Maggie are 3rd-degree and Lisa is a 2nd-degree black belt in taekwondo. Vin also is the author of the young adult novel, "A Quarter Mile From Home." He enjoys hiking, camping, fly-fishing and running, preferably with Lisa.