Monique Stevens scored 15 points and Kindrea Poole added 13 to lead Southeast Community College to a 62-53 victory over St. Clair Community College of Michigan in a consolation bracket game at the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II National Tournament Wednesday afternoon.
The victory, SCC’s first ever at nationals, puts it into an 11 a.m. game Friday against either Lake Land or Lackawanna. Lake Land entered the tournament seeded 10th, while Lackawanna was the 15th seed. SCC is seeded No. 14.
The Storm led 28-22 at halftime behind Caitlin Madden’s 12 points and six rebounds. SCC led 31-24 early in the second half, but St. Clair went on an 8-0 run, taking a 32-31 lead with 15:26 left on a basket by 6-1 forward Teisha Knott.
Southeast regained the lead 37-33 with 13:41 to play. But at the 12:12 mark of the second half, Knott left the game after being injured in a scramble for the ball. She did not return.
Without her, St. Clair actually took the lead back 43-42 at the 9-minute mark, but Poole put back a missed shot at the 8:48 mark, was fouled and made the free throw to give the Storm a 45-43 lead they never relinquished.
Eleventh-seeded St. Clair got to within three points twice down the stretch, but SCC held on for the win.
SCC’s Mesha Phillips scored eight points, as did Shari Saunders off the bench. Madden and Poole each finished with nine rebounds. Madden scored all 12 of her points in the first half.
Heidi Highstreet led St. Clair with 16 points.
SCC won the turnover battle, committing 12 to St. Clair’s 25.