BLUE MOUNTAIN, Miss. – The University of Tennessee Southern women's basketball team closed out the 2024-25 regular season in style with an 83-66 come from behind rout of Blue Mountain Christian on Saturday. Both teams were fighting to improve or hold their ground in the Southern States Athletic Conference standings, which begins next Wednesday in Montgomery, Ala. UTS improved to 12-8 on the season and 11-5 in league play.
Four Firehawks marked the scorebook in double figures.
Ashley Dickey led all scorers with 24 points and nine defensive boards.
Kassidy Broussard added 22 points with 2 trifectas.
Lauren Smith added 11 points and eight boards.
Silkiari Vazquez-Troche pitched in 10 in the win.
The Firehawks took the early lead leading 18-14 after one quarter of play. UTS shot 8-21 for 38 percent. Dickey netted seven first stanza points. In the second quarter a late Topper run had UT Southern trailing at the break 31-30. UTS struggled from the floor in quarter number two shooting 3-16 (19%) from the field. Dickey added four more in the quarter to lead all scorers at the break with 11.
In the third, both teams began to heat up the court, both shooting 50 plus percent from the field. UTS shot 8-15 (53%) and BMCU shot 8-14 (57%). Dickey continued to lead all scorers with 21 points through three.
The final quarter was a wild one. Beginning the quarter trailing 51-50, the Firehawks netted 33 points blowing the game wide open. UTS shot 9-11 from the field including a perfect 3-3 from range. Broussard had the hot had scoring 13 points in the quarter.
BY THE NUMBERS
44.4 – UTS shot 28 of 63 for 44.4 percent, five and a half percent better than the Toppers.
4 – UTS connected on four trifectas, three of which were in the fourth quarter.
23 – UTS made 31 trips to the charity stripe, making 23. BMCU made 18 trips making 14.
35 – UT Southern pulled down 35 rebounds, seven less than the Toppers.
44 – UTS scored 44 points in the paint, 18 more than BMCU.
17 – UTS forced 17 turnovers by BMCU, committing only eight.
SSAC CHAMPIONSHIP
With today's win, UTS finished the season in a four way jam for second place in the standings. Tennessee Southern, Brewton-Parker, Mobile, and Loyola all closed out the season with 11-5 marks. After tie breaking procedures, the Firehawks earned the fourth seed. The SSAC Championship will be held at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl beginning next Wednesday. The top 10 teams advance to the Tournament.
Final Standings and Seeds
1.William Carey – 16-0
2.Loyola – 11-5
3.Mobile – 11-5
4.Tennessee Southern – 11-5
5.Brewton-Parker – 11-5
6.Life – 10-6
7.Faulkner – 7-9
8.Blue Mountain Christian – 7-9
9.Point – 5-11
10.Thomas – 4-12
11.Middle Georgia State – 3-13
12.Abraham Baldwin – 0-16
NEXT UP
The Firehawks will travel to the "Gump", Montgomery, Ala., to play for an SSAC Championship beginning next week. UTS will meet Brewton-Parker on Thursday, February 27, at nine a.m. The Barons and Firehawks met last Saturday in Pulaski, with UTS winning 97-74.
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