Box Score
ROME, Ga.- The Belhaven women's basketball team will head to the Southern States Athletic Conference Championship Saturday night after defeating Shorter University in the SSAC Semi Finals 56-51 Friday afternoon. The Blazers will make their second conference championship appearance in school history. It's the first since 1982, when Belhaven claimed a GCAC conference championship.

The Blazers maintained a slight advantage at halftime 26-25 with senior Portia Tucker leading the way with six points at the break. The first half had seven ties with seven lead changes. Belhaven saw their largest of the half of four when senior guard Regena Jackson drained a pair of free-throws with 7:23 remaining in the half. Senior forward Portia Tucker, with 1:07 left in the half, scored the last basket before the buzzer to give the Blazers a one point lead at 26-25 going into the locker room.

The second half was a carbon copy of the first as each team traded buckets and the lead. With just under seven minutes to go, Jackson got a basket putting the Blazers on top 41-40. Belhaven wouldn't relinquish the lead from that point on as seniors Kiara Johnson and Jackson made clutched free-throws down the stretch. They combined to go 8 for 9 in the final two minutes placing the Blazers on top for a five point victory 56-51.

The Blazers shot 32.7% from the floor while making 19 of 24 free throw attempts (79.2 percent), including converting 14 of 17 in the second half. Jackson had a game high 19 points with six assists while Tucker turned in a double-double off the bench with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Senior forward Jessica Barlow and senior guard Kiara Johnson both contributed eight points apiece. Johnson and Jackson both had impressive games from the charity stripe aiding the Blazers in their win as Johnson went 4 for 5 and Jackson 10 for 11.

Brittney Smith and Robyn Foster both had a team best nine points for Shorter (26-6) while Smith had 11 rebounds and Foster dished out six assists. Abbie Daniel and Kelly Ellison both contributed eight points apiece. The Hawks shot 35 percent (21 for 60) from the floor and out-rebounded the Blazers 46-38.

Belhaven will meet 5th ranked Lee University who got past Emmanuel College 57-55 in the other semifinal. The championship game is slated for 4:00 PM. Fans can follow all the play-by-play action with live audio via Ihigh by clicking here.