BUENA VISTA, Va. - On a night when it seemed as if Knight fans would return home dejected, the Southern Virginia University women's basketball team's never say die attitude came through in the clutch against North Carolina Wesleyan.

Trailing by a couple of scores near the end of regulation, the Knights scored seven points in the final twenty seconds to punch their ticket to the USA South Championship after a 74-71 thriller.

As advertised by a two-three seeded matchup, the teams traded buckets the entire night, exchanging the lead on multiple occasions. 

It was the Knights that had a productive opening quarter, stretching an early lead to 20-11 after Maria Savvun hit a pair of free throws to close out the opening ten minutes. Anna Kimball was a force in the paint, securing several boards and recording a pair of blocks.

However, foul trouble for two of Southern Virginia's top players, Kimball and Abigail Snyder, allowed North Carolina Wesleyan to claw into the lead.

After entering the second half tied, the visitors held a slight advantage for most of the remaining time. Then, with under thirty seconds remaining, and the Battling Bishops up 71-67, Snyder managed to connect on two free throws to make it a one score game.

Miraculously, the league's reigning defensive player of the year, Aysia Foster, stole the ball on the ensuing possession and sprinted the other away to lay it in while being fouled. 

Foster nailed the free throw to give Southern Virginia a one point lead. Their defense did the job again, forcing their opponents into a tough shot before Kensey Peterson sealed the victory with two more free throws. 

Looking Ahead 

Southern Virginia marches onto the USA South Championship game for a third consecutive season. They'll face Brevard, the tournament's top seed, in a rematch of the 2025 title game. 

The final will take place on Saturday, February 28th on the campus of Brevard College. Tipoff is set for 2:00 PM.

For the most up-to-date information and details on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_wbb on Instagram.