Lady Roadrunners Fall in Region Tournament Championship Game

The number one-seeded and ninth-ranked Lady Roadrunners broke their 13-game winning streak Feb. 28 when they lost an NJCAA Region 16 championship game 71-61 to the second-seeded and 24^th-ranked Mineral Area College Lady Cardinals from Park Hills, Missouri.

The games were played Feb. 27-28 at Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Missouri. SFCC (23-6) advanced to the title game by defeating the fourth-seeded Jefferson College Lady Vikings from Hillsboro, Missouri, 87-57 in a semifinal contest.

The Lady Roadrunners got off to a slow start against Mineral Area, trailing 6-1 with about 16 minutes remaining in the opening half. SFCC cut the Lady Cardinals' advantage to four at 36-32 at halftime, but Mineral Area held its lead for the entire game, at one point leading by 17. The Lady Cardinals made the plays down the stretch to secure the victory.

Freshman guard/forward Zhanesha Dickerson led three Lady Roadrunners in double-figure scoring with 16 points. Sophomore center Alecia Cooley registered another double double with 15 points and a team-high 17 rebounds and led in blocked shots with three. Sophomore guard Sannayyiah Johnson chipped in with 10 points, and sophomore guard Erin Boothe led in steals with three.

In Friday's game against the Lady Vikings, Boothe opened the scoring for SFCC with a three-point shot in the first minute. SFCC stretched its advantage to 43-19 at halftime.

"We were able to control the game all the way through," said Lady Roadrunners Head Coach Kevin Bucher. "Everyone played a big part in this game and did a great job. Sannayyiah had an outstanding game, and Anquinette played really well, especially in the first half. We came out with a lot of heart and energy."

Johnson led four Lady Roadrunners in double-figure scoring with 29 points. Dickerson added 21. Boothe and freshman center Anquinette Dozier pitched in with 10 apiece. Johnson and Dickerson tied for the team lead in assists with three each. Freshman guard/forward Tyisha Saunders pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds, and Boothe and freshman guard Sierra Clayborn tied for the team lead in steals with three.

Cooley, Dickerson and Boothe earned All-Region 16 First Team honors. Johnson was named to the Second Team. Coach Bucher was named Co-Coach of the Year for Region 16. SFCC will await the announcement of the Division I Women's Basketball Championship field to see if the Lady Roadrunners will earn an at-large bid.

David Rohrbach

SFCC Athletics