COLUMBIA, S.C. (Feb. 18, 2017) â€" Entering the final day of the regular season, the Milligan College women's basketball team was one game behind Reinhardt University in the Appalachian Athletic Conference standings and needed a win at Columbia and a Reinhardt loss to win the regular season title. Thanks to double figure performances from Sarah Robinson, Hayley Wyrick, and Courtney Wilson, and some help from Bluefield College, the Buffaloes defeated Columbia 76-53 and won their second consecutive conference title.
 
With Milligan's win and Reinhardt's loss at Bluefield, the two teams finished the regular season tied with an 18-4 AAC record atop the conference. However, due to Milligan's two wins against Reinhardt earlier this season, the Buffaloes won their second straight AAC regular season title and earned a berth to the NAIA National tournament.
 
Milligan (22-8, 18-4 AAC) went back-and-forth with Columbia during the first quarter, exchanging leads until the game was tied at 11. In the final possessions of the first quarter, Wilson scored on back-to-back possessions to give the Buffs a 16-11 lead going into the second. In the second frame, Milligan held Columbia to six points, with four of them coming in the opening minute. For the remainder of the first half, the Buffs went on a 14-2 run and led 31-17 at the half.
 
The Buffaloes led by double figures the rest of the way and eventually built a 28 point lead at two points in the fourth quarter. Kaley Persinger and Lexi Weddle both scored from beyond the arc to give Milligan its largest lead of the game. Milligan went on to win 76-53.
 
Robinson, Wyrick, and Wilson led the Buffs with 17, 15, and 13 points respectively. Wyrick has scored double figures in 11 consecutive games, during which the team has posted a 10-1 record. Mackenzie Raizor nearly had a double-double, scoring eight points and collecting nine rebounds.
 
"Since our last loss, our players have worked hard to recapture their confidence," Head Coach Rich Aubrey said. "The most important part has been staying together. Our seniors set the tone for giving their team a strong sense of connection. That connection proved strong enough to get us a share of the regular season title and the automatic bid to the national tournament."
 
With the regular season wrapped up, Milligan enters the AAC tournament as the top seed with a spot at the NAIA National tournament secured. The conference tournament is scheduled for Wednesday-Saturday, Feb. 22-25, at the MeadowView Marriott in Kingsport.