SVU Women Garner Hoops Title

The Southern Virginia University women’s basketball team secured its second USA South Athletic Conference championship title in three years with an impressive 69-41 victory over North Carolina Wesleyan University on Saturday evening at Knight Arena in Buena Vista.

The Knights (22-6 overall, 17-1 USA South), the top seed in the conference, asserted themselves quickly, opening the game on a 10-0 run in the first four minutes of play, and closing the first quarter with a commanding 21-10 lead. It was more of the same dominance in the second quarter as the Knights’ lead expanded to 19 points after the initial 20 minutes. Following a Battling Bishop bucket to start the third quarter, SVU embarked on another 10-0 run, extending their lead to 30 points with ten minutes remaining. Although third-seeded N.C. Wesleyan (16-12, 14-4) staged a strong comeback in the final quarter, the Knights’ lead proved insurmountable as they clinched the championship trophy.

Reflecting on the win, fifthyear SVU head coach Lynette Schroeder called it “amazing. There are no words for the way that we played this week.” Schroeder praised the team’s defense for containing opponents and propelling the offense.

“I’m just super proud of these ladies and their commitment to being a total team and really buying into our culture,” added Schroeder.

SVU’s Addison Newman led all scorers with 24 points, complemented by three rebounds, three steals and one assist. Ruth Kempler showcased her prowess with a double-double of 15 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, while Maria Savvun contributed 14 points, five assists and two for the Knights. Stepping up defensively for SVU was Abigail Snyder, who grabbed 10 rebounds and dished our four assists while chipping in seven points to facilitate the offense. Leading N.C. Wesleyan was Kayrisma Harrison with nine points and eight rebounds.

Newman was named the tournament Most Valuable Player, after scoring 22 points in the Knights’ 66-45 home win over Brevard College in the conference semifinals on Thursday. In the two games, she shot an impressive 62.5 percent from the field, going 20-of-32, and demonstrated accuracy from beyond the arc, shooting 3-of-7 (42.9 percent). Additionally, Newman made significant defensive contributions, recording three steals and grabbing rebounds during the championship game.

Earlier in the week, SVU cruised to a 115-42 home win over William Peace in the conference quarterfinals on Tuesday of last week. The 73point win set a new program record for the largest margin of victory in a game.

The Knights, who won their first-ever conference title two years ago, have two players who grew up in the area on the team. Senior guard Emma Camden, one of the Knights’ leaders, is a 2019 Parry Mc-Cluer High School graduate who helped the Fighting Blues win their second and third consecutive Class 1 state titles in 2018 and 2019 after transferring from Rockbridge County High School.

Camden was honored last week with All-Sportsmanship recognition, lauded for her invaluable role as a vocal leader and exemplar of sportsmanship throughout the season. SVU freshman forward Anna Claytor, a 2023 PM graduate, scored more than 1,000 points during her high school career and helped the Blues make the state semifinals during her junior year in 2022.

SVU had a stellar regular season, going on a 12-game losing streak and only dropping one conference game, a 57-38 loss to Methodist on Feb. 3. Methodist, the second seed in the conference, was upset by N.C. Wesleyan 57-49 in the conference semifinals on Thursday.

With the conference championship secured, the Knights were awaiting their draw for the NCAA Division III tournament. For the schedule and updates, visit knightathletics. com.