LAKELAND, Fla. -- SEU Women's Basketball clinched at least a share of the Sun Conference regular-season title Saturday evening, using a relentless full-court press and a dominant fourth quarter to pull away from Keiser for a 59–46 victory at The Furnace.
The win pushed the Fire to 22–3 overall and 12–1 in conference play, putting them in position atop the league standings with the postseason approaching. While the final margin looked comfortable, the path there required grit, adjustments, and a game-changing defensive effort over the final 10 minutes.
SEU started strong, knocking down three triples in the opening quarter and building a 15–11 lead after one.
Alley Haas opened the scoring with a three from the wing, and
Sarah Davis and
Mya Herman soon followed from beyond the arc as the Fire spaced the floor well early. Keiser answered with efficient shooting of its own, but SEU's ball movement and rebounding helped the hosts maintain a slim edge.
The second quarter belonged largely to the Seahawks, who limited Southeastern to three field goals in the period. Keiser's Caidyn Cannon found a rhythm attacking the paint and from midrange, helping the visitors briefly grab the lead. Southeastern managed just nine points in the frame and went to the locker room clinging to a 24–22 advantage after a defensive-minded stretch on both ends.
Out of halftime, the Fire focused on tightening up defensively and controlling the glass.
Grace Field made her presence felt with key rebounds and playmaking, while
Kristiana Kulackovska provided a spark with efficient scoring. Southeastern edged Keiser 12–11 in the third, but the game remained very much in doubt entering the final quarter, with the Fire leading by just two.
That's when Southeastern flipped the switch.
The Fire turned up their full-court press in the fourth quarter, and the tempo of the game changed immediately. Passing lanes disappeared for Keiser, dribblers were trapped in the corners, and hurried decisions led to turnovers. Southeastern converted those mistakes into points, scoring 23 in the period while holding Keiser to just eight.
Points off turnovers told the story. The Fire finished with 31 points off Keiser miscues, many of them coming during the decisive fourth-quarter run. Layups by
Ellah Kissell and Field, along with a timely three from Herman, stretched the lead into double digits.
Herman led a balanced Southeastern attack with 13 points, including two three-pointers, while Davis added 13 off the bench on 5-of-9 shooting. Field contributed 10 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, impacting the game in multiple areas. Kulackovska chipped in nine points on an efficient 4-of-6 from the floor.
SEU now turns its attention to the road, where the Fire will continue conference play on Wednesday, when they travel to Sarasota, Fla., for a 5:30 p.m. matchup against New College of Florida.
