Bucks, Lady Senators win region titles

Walters State is going to the NJCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament for the seventh year in a row and the 12th time in 14 seasons, but the Lady Senators had to go three overtimes against relentless Roane State on Tuesday to book their trip to Lubbock, Texas.

Walters, set now for its 15th nationals appearance under coach Dave Kragel, pulled out a 74-71 victory over the seventh-seeded Lady Raiders, who were playing for the fourth day in a row and had beat the second and third seeds before challenging the top-seeded Morristown team in the TCCAA/ NJCAA Region VII championship game at Chattanooga State.

No. 2 seed Motlow State overwhelmed top-seeded Southwest Tennessee in the men’s final, 78-61, as Isaiah Hart had 19 points, five assists and five steals, Rashawn Fredericks 14 points and four steals and Kevonte Corley 12 points, 10 rebounds and another four thefts.

Leonardo Castillo and David Fraser added 11 and 10 points for the Bucks (227), who will play in the men’s nationals March 19-24 in Hutchinson, Kan. For Southwest (24-5), Michael Littlejohn scored 20 points with five 3-point baskets and Carlos Marshall had 11 points.

The Walters women (28-5) led 19-10 after one quarter and 48-36 after three, but the Lady Raiders (16-18) forced overtime with an 18-6 fourth quarter. Amberlee Zeller scored 16 points, Rachel Layne 13 and Monae Mayes and Autumn Monkhouse 10 apiece for Roane, which got 10 rebounds from Mayes to go with 11 plus four blocked shots from Cinthia Mbakop Ngassam.

Playing with a stress fracture in her foot, TCCAA player of the year Sara Vujacic had 25 points with five 3s and three steals for Walters, while Oneisha Turner had 16 points and nine rebounds and Gazmyne Herndon contributed 13 points, 14 rebounds and five assists.