SPARTANBURG, S.C. -The Chowan University women's basketball team defeated No. 2 seed Barton College on Saturday evening in the semifinals of the Conference Carolinas Women's Basketball Championship to advance to the finals. Sunday's appearance will mark the program's first-ever trip to the Conference Carolinas Women's Basketball Finals since joining the league.

Chowan jumped out in front of the Bulldogs early, scoring the first points of the game and maintaining control throughout the contest. Chowan built a 37-23 advantage by halftime and never looked back. The Hawks pushed their lead to its largest margin in the fourth quarter at the 1:14 mark, leading by 24 points at 80-56 before closing out the game with an 80-60 victory at the final buzzer. Chowan's success was fueled by limiting Barton's offense with strong defensive pressure while capitalizing on scoring opportunities on the offensive end to take control with efficiency.

Senior Yasmine Brown delivered a career-high performance in the win, playing with poise, confidence, and displaying her leadership throughout the contest.

THE BASICS

FINAL | Chowan 80,  Barton 60

RECORDS | Chowan (19-8, 14-6), Barton  (19-10, 15-5)

LOCATION  | Spartanburg, S.C. (Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium)

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

Yasmine Brown was dialed in from the opening moments, knocking down a three-pointer in the first 30 seconds of the game. She added another three in the second quarter along with two quick layups to give her 10 points at halftime. Brown elevated her performance even further in the second half, scoring 17 more points to finish with a career-high 27 points.

Desiree Askew turned in another strong outing for the Hawks, finishing with 12 points on 4-8 shooting from the field. She also went 4-6 from the free-throw line while grabbing seven rebounds and recording an assist.

Aquarius Pettaway was a force in the post, tallying 10 points on 3-4 shooting from the field while going a perfect 4-4 at the free-throw line. Pettaway also pulled down seven rebounds and added a steal.

Daneesha Briggs knocked down two three-pointers and a field goal to finish with eight points while dishing out two assists. Wisdom Banks added six points on 3-6 shooting from the field along with three rebounds and an assist.

Ayanna Rutledge and Alexandria James-Fearon contributed seven and six points, respectively. Rutledge remained active defensively, recording a steal and a block while securing five rebounds, four of which came on the defensive glass. James-Fearon also applied pressure on the Bulldogs, grabbing five rebounds with four coming on defense while adding two steals and a block.

Nyeisha Savage once again demonstrated why she was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year, recording a game-high 13 rebounds and five blocks. Savage secured seven defensive boards and finished with four points while dominating the glass.

As a team, the Hawks shot 45.5 percent from the field, 31.3 percent from beyond the arc, and 78.9 percent from the free-throw line. Chowan also tallied 38 points in the paint, 26 points off the bench, 17 points off Barton turnovers, 16 fast-break points, and 13 second-chance points.

UP NEXT

The Hawks will face No. 5 Lees-McRae College in the Conference Carolinas Women's Basketball Championship Finals on Sunday, March 8 at 4:00 PM at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium on the campus of Wofford College.