MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Behind a career performance from
Mya Herman and a composed overtime finish, Southeastern secured its first NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship victory since 2022 with an 87–81 win over Faulkner on Friday afternoon in the First Round of the NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship Montgomery Bracket at Tine Davis Gymnasium.
Herman delivered the best game of her collegiate career, pouring in a career-high 34 points while leading the Fire through a tightly contested matchup that required overtime to decide. The win moves Southeastern to 28–3 on the season and advances the Fire to Saturday's Second Round and a meeting with Lindsey Wilson at 5 p.m. ET.
Friday's contest featured momentum swings throughout, including multiple lead changes and a dramatic final minute in regulation before Southeastern ultimately pulled away in overtime.
Faulkner opened the game with early energy, jumping out to a 6–0 lead before Southeastern settled in offensively. Herman quickly found her rhythm from the perimeter, knocking down multiple early three-pointers to bring the Fire back into the game.
Grace Pitzer and
Rosa Redondo Sorribes provided a spark off the bench late in the first quarter, combining for quick points that helped Southeastern erase the early deficit. By the end of the opening period, the Fire had drawn even with the Eagles at 18–18.
The second quarter saw Southeastern begin to assert control offensively.
Sarah Davis delivered a significant lift off the bench, hitting four three-pointers in the period to ignite a scoring run. Her perimeter shooting helped stretch the Faulkner defense and opened driving lanes for Herman and the Fire guards.
Behind Davis' hot shooting and steady play from
Kristiana Kulackovska, Southeastern built a small cushion and entered halftime with a 40–35 advantage.
The Fire continued their strong play in the third quarter, putting together their most efficient stretch of the afternoon. Southeastern shot nearly 70 percent from the field in the frame while turning defensive stops into transition opportunities.
Kulackovska pushed the tempo and facilitated the offense, while Herman continued to attack from both beyond the arc and inside the paint. A three-pointer from Herman midway through the quarter capped a run that extended the Fire lead to 16 points, the largest margin of the game.
At that moment, it appeared Southeastern had seized full control of the contest.
Faulkner, however, refused to go away.
The Eagles mounted a determined comeback in the fourth quarter, gradually chipping away at the deficit with aggressive drives and timely perimeter shooting. Southeastern struggled to maintain the offensive rhythm it had established earlier in the game, scoring just 11 points in the quarter.
As the clock ticked down, Faulkner's pressure defense forced several key turnovers, allowing the Eagles to close the gap possession by possession. With just over two minutes remaining, Faulkner had trimmed the Fire lead to a single point.
The final minute of regulation featured a dramatic sequence of lead changes. Faulkner briefly moved in front before Herman responded with a clutch basket and free throws to reclaim the lead for Southeastern.
With SEU leading by three, Ella Jane Connell delivered a critical three-pointer with nine seconds remaining to knot the score at 70–70 and send the game to overtime.
The Fire quickly regained control in the extra period.
Herman opened overtime with a pair of free throws before
Eva Bishop converted a key jumper that pushed Southeastern back in front. From there, the Fire relied on their composure at the free-throw line and defensive pressure to secure the victory.
Southeastern shot 11-for-12 from the free-throw line in overtime, turning late defensive stops into points that gradually built separation.
Kulackovska, Herman, and
Sarah Davis all converted crucial free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
Herman finished with 34 points on 11-of-19 shooting, including 6-of-10 from beyond the arc while also hitting all six of her free-throw attempts. She added four rebounds and two steals while playing 43 minutes in the victory.
Davis added 14 points off the bench, knocking down four three-pointers to provide one of the key offensive boosts of the afternoon. Kulackovska contributed 13 points and five assists while helping guide the Fire offense throughout the contest.
Bishop added eight points and five rebounds in limited minutes, including two critical baskets that helped steady Southeastern during pivotal stretches of the game.
As a team, the Fire shot 54.4 percent from the field and 44 percent from three-point range while finishing 14-of-20 at the free-throw line. Southeastern also received a major contribution from its bench unit, which combined for 32 points in the victory.
With the First Round victory secured, Southeastern will now prepare for Saturday's Second Round matchup against Lindsey Wilson with a trip to the NAIA National Championship final site in Sioux City on the line.
