RICHMOND, Virginia - It has been a long and successful season for the Lyon College Women's basketball team this year.
Scoring over 100 points seven times and averaging 96 points per game, were only a few statistical aspects that told the story of
Casey Fowler's second year of coaching the Scots. With addition of former North Carolina Tar Heel assistant
Michael Peckham, and a solid foundation of players from Fowler's first season at Lyon, made for an entertaining season.
Fowler was named USCAA Coach of the Year,
Allison Byars was the Student Athlete of the Year, while
Savanna Lopez,
Samantha Taylor and
Natalya Kaza were all recognized for achievements. The Scots culminated their season in the USCAA Division I Small College National Championship on Wednesday afternoon.
Playing Salem University, of NCAA Division II, the Scots stayed close until midway in the second period. Salem outscored Lyon 28-18, which made the difference in the contest. By the end, Salem had defeated the Scots 77-59.
Kaza and Taylor led the Scots (16-11) with 13 points apiece.
Savanna Lopez scored 10 points and had 10 rebounds for a double-double, but Salem keyed in on Byars and held her down to only six points.
Kayla Richardson, who was playing in her final game as a Scot, scored nine points and six rebounds.
Alexis Soloman,
Mia Winston,
Emily Walley and
Olivia Jones scored one basket each.
Early in the first quarter, Kaza put the Scots on the board with two free throws. Seconds later, Taylor made one of two from the line and Lopez had a turnaround jump shot go it for a 5-4 lead. However, Salem got rolling and led by seven with 5:10 to go in the first quarter, but Lyon came back to make it close with another free throw from Taylor, a three-pointer from Kaza, then Taylor put in a layup and Kaza scored with 16 seconds left to cut the Salem lead to 16-13.
Byars made two free throws to get the game to one point at the beginning of the second period. A few minutes later, Lopez made a jumper to keep the game at one point, 18-17. Lyon College took a short-lived lead at the 8:10 mark when Richardson scored in the paint to make it 19-18, but the Scots got stuck on 19 for a minute or two, allowing Salem to race off to another seven-point lead.
Samantha Taylor scored on a running jump shot with 5:39 to go before halftime, then Salem went on a 13-0 run and led 39-22 when Kaza made one of two free throws with 2:04 to go in the period. Taylor completed a three-point play and put in a layup to cut the lead to 12 points, 39-27. Kaza scored with 46 seconds left, then Taylor put in two free throws to make it a 10-point game with 35 seconds to go, 41-31. Salem made a late three-pointer to lead by 13 at the break.
Kaza, Richardson, Byars and Lopez scored in succession for the Scots to open the third quarter and quickly got down to eight points, 47-39 with 6:35 to go in the period. Kaza made a free throw, but Salem outscored Lyon 8-2 over the next four minutes to lead 57-40. Byars made two free throws to stop the run with 2:04 left. Lopez put in a jump shot, but Salem made another three-pointer to lead by 18 by the end of the period, 62-44.
The Scots found themselves down by as much as 26 points in the fourth quarter, 77-51 with 2:09 to go.
