While Lee was winning, Southern Poly was also garnering a share of the title by soundly whipping Emmanuel College, 79-44.
The Lady Flames won a coin-toss later Saturday to determine which team gained the top seed in the SSAC tournament next week and an automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament.
Lee jumped out to a commanding 44-19 lead Saturday and never looked back in posting their 24th win of the season against just five defeats. Coach Marty Rowe’s team finished conference play at 12-2.
The Lady Flames shot 43 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. The 14 successful attempts gives Lee 249 treys for the year, tops in the NAIA.
The balanced Lee attack saw Angela Spann knock down three 3-pointers and finish with a team-high 17 points. Brooke McKinnon followed with 14, while Hollie German countered with 10 points, four assists and four steals. Kayla Carlisle tossed in 10 markers and netted four rebounds, while Madison Lee tallied nine points including three treys.
For the losers, LaPorcha Williams was the leader with 12 points and Emmie Bland totaled 10. Columbia shot 32 percent from the field and only 14 percent from behind the 3-point arc.
The Lady Flames made 50 percent of their shots from the floor and coach Rowe praised the hard play of his club. “Columbia played a soft 2-3 zone and that allowed us to make a lot of 3’s,” said the coach.
Lee returns to action on Thursday (3 p.m.) and will face the winner of Wednesday’s opening round game between Emmanuel and Faulkner. The opening two rounds of the SSAC women’s bracket will be played at Darlington School in Rome, Ga.
