ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Samford women's basketball delivered a commanding defensive performance to defeat ETSU 57-48 on Friday at Harrah's Cherokee Center. With the win, the Bulldogs (15-18) advance to the SoCon Tournament Championship, holding the Bucs to just 28.3 percent shooting and never trailing after the early moments.
Samford set the tone in the opening quarter, surging ahead 11-8 behind tough defense and an early three-pointer from Francie Morris. The Bulldogs caught fire in the second quarter, shooting 78 percent from the floor, and carried a 27-21 edge into the half. After halftime, Samford continued to pull away, outscoring ETSU 20-12 in the third period and stretching the lead to as many as 17 points. The Bulldogs' defense remained airtight in the fourth, closing out a wire-to-wire victory and sealing a spot in the semifinals.
Morris paced the Bulldogs with a stellar double-double, notching 15 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals. Kaylee Yarbrough gave a spark off the bench with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Senior Sierra Godbolt tallied 12 points and two steals, while Briana Rivera logged a full 40 minutes and added 10 points. The Bulldogs controlled the boards with 37 rebounds and saw their bench contribute 17 points.
Samford advances in the SoCon tournament and is moving on to the championship game in Asheville. This will be the Bulldogs first appearance in the tournament championship since 2020, they are 3-1 all-time in SoCon tournament championship games, the latest being a win against UNCG.
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