SALEM, Va. — Sierra St. Cyr’s layup with five seconds left in overtime was the winning basket as Shenandoah University upset top-seeded Guilford College, 52-49, on Friday afternoon in an Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) quarterfinal game.
The Hornets, who became the first eight seed to defeat a number one seed in the tournament, improved to 14-13 and advanced to Saturday’s semifinals. SU also ended the Quakers’ nine-game winning streak.
Miracle Walters notched a game-high 18 point for Guilford. She was 8-of-12 shooting and had seven rebounds.
After St. Cyr’s basket, Guilford set up a play, but Lindsay Gauldin stepped on the end line before attempting a shot. GC then fouled Jordan Sondrol, the ODAC’s top free-throw shooter. She made both from the charity stripe and pushed the lead to 52-49. Guilford had one last shot, but Calyn Davis’s three-pointer was off the mark as time expired.
Guilford held a 15-7 lead after one quarter and was ahead 27-21 at the break. The Hornets trailed by seven points heading to the final period but then halted the Guilford offense by outscoring GC 9-2 in the final ten minutes.
Shenandoah tied the game at 43-43 with 1:06 left in regulation after a St. Cyr bucket. Her layup capped a 7-0 run from the Hornets. Neither team scored thereafter which forced the overtime. Guilford shot just 8-percent in the fourth quarter.
In the extra period, Walters scored the first two baskets of the overtime. Davis’s basket with 2:06 on the clock pushed the margin to 49-45. SU scored the last seven points of the contest and took its first lead with St. Cyr’s game-winner.
For the game, Guilford shot 37-percent (21-56) to the Hornets 36-percent (21-58). Shenandoah forced 22 turnovers and had 12 miscues. Guilford trailed in bench points, 26-5. SU won the battle of the boards, 52-49.
Gauldin recorded 10 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and posted her 12th double-double of the season. Davis added 10 points and was the only player to convert two 3-pointers in the contest.
Ragan Johnson came off the bench to tally a team-best 13 points for Shenandoah. Sondrol and Shannon Kuhn each notched 11 points for the Hornets. St. Cyr finished with nine points in the game.
The Quakers (20-6) will now wait for the NCAA Selection Show on Monday to see if their resume earns them a spot in the Division III Championship.