PHOENIXVILLE, PA – In front of a packed gymnasium, the Valley Forge Christian College Lady Patriots earned a historic championship for their program. The Lady Patriots defeated Lancaster Bible College, 65-54. With the victory, the Lady Patriots earned a spot in the NCCAA Division II National Tournament in Circleville, Ohio.
The victory didn't come easy, but the Lady Patriots pulled away at just the right time.
At halftime, the scoreboard read 32-26 in favor of the Lady Patriots. However, the Lady Chargers wouldn't fold easily. Through the first five minutes of the second half, the Lady Chargers climbed back into the contest to tie the game at 37-37.
With the game tied, Coach Chapple called a time-out to refocus the Lady Patriots. A few minutes later, the Lady Patriots grabbed control of the game, and went on a 13-2 run. With a little under eight minutes remaining, the Lady Patriots pulled away by 10 points for the first time in the game.
Lancaster Bible College continued to battle back, but the damage was done. The Lady Patriots maintained their lead and clinched their first NCCAA Division II East Region championship title!
Sophomores Amanda Compton and Amanda Reich led the way for the Lady Patriots.
Compton recorded a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds. Compton also finished with three blocked shots.
Reich led the team in scoring with 14 points. Reich also tallied six rebounds.
Shawneal McKeither contributed with eight points, seven assists, three steals, and two blocked shots.
Aliyah Carr finished with nine points and two steals.
The Lady Patriots and Lady Chargers shot similarly from the floor, but Valley Forge held notable advantages in rebounding and points off turnovers. The Lady Patriots threw up 20 more shot attempts than the visitors.
Valley Forge Christian College is extremely proud of the Lady Patriots and coaching staff, as they proved to be resilient through the long season to emerge as champions!
Quite possibly for the first time in school history, the Valley Forge women's basketball team notched 20 victories with an overall record of 20 wins, 11 losses.
Now, the Lady Patriots must prepare for the NCCAA Division II National Tournament in Circleville, Ohio. The Lady Patriots earned the #4 seed heading into the tournament and will play #5 Clearwater Christian College on Thursday (Mar. 10) at Ohio Christian University.
