Lady Buffs advance to Semi-Finals

Bristol, Tenn. (Feb. 26, 2009) --- The Milligan College women's basketball team competed in the first round of the AAC Tournament Thursday afternoon, defeating No. 10 seed Montreat College 65-56.

The No. 2 Lady Buffs jumped out of the gate with a solid start, leading the Lady Cavaliers by as much as eleven points early in the first half. Maintaining this lead with consistent free-throw shooting and solid defense, the Lady Buffs led 34-25 at the half.

Although the Lady Cavs came off the bench with aggressive shooting, the Lady Buffs were still too much for Montreat, dominating the scoreboard by as much as 16 points midway through the second half.

The Lady Buffs' offense was evenly spread, with three players scoring in the double digits.

Sophomore Heather Mandela (Fairfax, Va.) led the Lady Buffs in scoring with 21 points and 11 rebounds followed by senior Hali Sparks (Erwin, Tenn.) with 13 points.

Freshman Alisha Mainer (Flag Pond, Tenn.) added 11 points to the scoreboard, while senior Renee Ensor (Elizabethton, Tenn.) contributed five assists.

“We played pretty well defensively,” said Head Coach Rich Aubrey . “We're happy to advance, and tomorrow will be a good challenge for us.”

The Lady Buffs will face Tennessee Wesleyan in the AAC Tournament Semi-Final Friday, Feb. 27, in Bristol, Tenn. In their two match-ups this season, the Lady Buffs have defeated the Lady Bulldogs 75-63 and 66-52. The teams tip off at 4 p.m.