Presbyterian women’s basketball clung to only an eight-point lead with four minutes left against Radford in the Big South Tournament championship game.
Enter the Blue Hose’s Bryanna Brady. The 6-foot-3 center scored nine of her 19 points during a 15-0 run in the final minutes to send No. 5 Presbyterian (20-14) to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history, knocking off No. 3 Radford 60-37 at the Nido and Mariana Qubein Center on Sunday.
The Blue Hose’s win over the Highlanders (15-18) gives them an automatic berth to March Madness. Presbyterian will learn who it will face as well as its seed on March 17.
The 37 points Radford scored against the Blue Hose is the fewest it has scored in a game all season. It is also Presbyterian’s best defensive performance this season.
Radford finished the game, shooting 30% (17-of-56) from the field and 8% (2-of-23) from the 3-point line. Meanwhile, Presbyterian shot 40% (20-of-50) and 16% (3-of-18) from deep. The Blue Hose also won the battle at the free-throw line, getting there 22 times compared to the Highlanders’ two.
Brady shot 8 of 11 from the field and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line while adding five rebounds, an assist and a block.
Presbyterian guards Tilda Sjokvist and Mara Neira also scored in double figures, with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Radford guard Ashlyn Traylor-Walker had a team-high 14 points.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Presbyterian women’s basketball advances to March Madness for first time
