BC Beats Top Three Seeds on Championship Run

SALEM, Va. --- Jessica Timberlake hit a jumper with 0:29 seconds to play to complete an unlikely run through the ODAC Women’s Basketball Tournament as sixth-seeded Bridgewater College defeated #1 Virginia Wesleyan College, 57-56, to win its third conference championship.  The Eagles, now 15-13 on the season, earn the ODAC’s automatic qualifier into the NCAA tournament.  The Marlins bow out with a 22-6 overall record.

Bridgewater earned its title by defeating the top three seeded teams in the field.  In the quarterfinals, the Eagles defeated #3 Eastern Mennonite University, 51-47.  They followed that up with a comeback win over #2 Randolph-Macon, 70-64, to set up Sunday’s championship against Virginia Wesleyan.

Bridgewater trailed by as many as seven points in the second half before taking its first lead with 14:21 to play following a lay-up by Jordan Burkholder.

Neither team could maintain the advantage with the lead changing hands eight times over the next 8:27.  Timberlake hit a three and followed with a jumper off a turnover to give BC a four-point edge with 5:20 to play.  Va. Wesleyan clawed back with a lay-up from Tonia Jones and a fast-break lay-in by Ushinski to tie the game for the fourth time at 53-53 with 3:08 to go.

Heather Phillips converted on what seemed like the play would have hampered Bridgewater as the Marlins’ standout completed a three-point play while the Eagles’ Burkholder was relegated to the bench with her fifth foul.  The score stood at 56-53 with 1:24 to play.

Timberlake started her memorable sequence on the next play, drawing a foul as she advanced the ball up the right wing.  She converted both ends of a one-and-one to pull the Eagles within one at 56-55.

Following a missed VWC jumper, Bridgewater worked the clock down with a few passes along the top of the key before Timberlake came around a high screen and knocked down a right elbow jumper to put BC ahead, 57-56, with 0:29 on the clock.

Timberlake was fouled after a missed jumper by Jones, but this time she missed the front-end of a one-and-one foul shooting situation to give VWC one more chance.  Taylor Lowe got a clean look at a right wing jumper as time expired, but the shot hit off the side rim and fell harmlessly to the hardwood.

Rebecca Henderson, who finished the game with 13 points and nine rebounds, tied the tournament record for most blocked shots in a tournament with 11.  She notched two on this day and added another one in the semifinals, but her eight-block performance against Eastern Mennonite set the pace and also gave her the single-game ODAC tournament record.

Burkholder and Timberlake each scored 14 points to lead the Eagles.  Burkholder added four assists while Timberlake chipped in five rebounds.  Nikki Sydnor pulled down eight boards.

Phillips led Virginia Wesleyan with 17 points and 12 rebounds for her second double-double of the tournament.  Jones added 16 points as well as three steals.  Maggie Smith had a strong game off the bench, notching 15 points and nine rebounds.  She hit 3-of-4 shots from behind the arc.

2008 All-Tournament Team
Jordan Burkholder, Bridgewater (MOP)
Kristin Bosserman, Bridgewater
Jessica Timberlake, Bridgewater
Taylor Lowe, Virginia Wesleyan
Heather Phillips, Virginia Wesleyan