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3/7/2008 - WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Jacksonville Soars Into the A-Sun Championship
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Photo courtesy of ASunPhotos
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - DaVina Hamilton scored 21 points to lead five Dolphins in double-figures, and second-seeded Jacksonville pulled away from No. 3 Gardner-Webb in the second half to reach its first Atlantic Sun Conference Championship game in school history, 68-57 Friday afternoon inside Allen Arena.
Jacksonville (23-8) scored 17 points off of 21 Runnin' Bulldog 21 turnovers, and the Dolphin bench outscored Gardner-Webb's 11-0 in the second half to extend a two-point halftime lead into the 11-point victory.
Gardner-Webb cut the Dolphin lead to one at 35-34 on Laura Povilonyte's jumper with just over 16 minutes remaining, but Regina Omoite answered with a three-pointer on Jacksonville's next position, and the Runnin' Bulldogs never cut the lead to less than four for the remainder of the game.
Gardner-Webb kept close throughout the first half, despite playing much of the period without Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year Monique Hudson who was limited to nine minutes after picking up three fouls.
Omoite and junior guard Virginia Gregoire finished with 12 and 10 points, respectively, while Courtney Jackson finished with 11 and provided all of the Dolphins' second half bench points. Gregoire also pulled down a game-high nine rebounds. Povilonyte led the Bulldogs with a game-high 17 points.
The victory adds to the Dolphins single-season record win total and marks the farthest they have advanced in the postseason in their nine year history. They await the winner of Friday's second semifinal between top-seeded ETSU and No. 5 Lipscomb. Gardner-Webb ends its season at 13-18.
