KINGSPORT, Tenn. (Feb. 24, 2017) â€" After three lead changes in the final 65 seconds of the contest, the No. 23 Milligan College women's basketball team came up short, 62-61, to Tennessee Wesleyan University Friday afternoon in the semifinals of the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament.
 
The final lead change came when TWU's Hunter Simpson scored a tough field goal under the basket with under 2.3 seconds left to put the Bulldogs up 62-61. Milligan (23-9) had a chance on the ensuing possession but did not get a shot off.
 
Prior to Simpson's basket, which put TWU into the AAC tournament championship, Kelly Barnett gave the Buffs a good look at victory when she scored a tough layup of her own from the left side with under 15 seconds left. It made it 61-60 and rounded out the scoring for Barnett's 16-point, six-rebound, four-assist effort, marking the fifth time in the last six games Barnett reached double figures in scoring.
 
Sarah Robinson followed Barnett next in the scoring column with 14 points, 16 rebounds, including 10 rebounds on the defensive end, and a career high five steals. The double-double was the 14th double-double of the season for this year's AAC Player of the Year.
 
Milligan led nearly the whole way, falling behind for only one possession outside of the final minute. It came less than two minutes into the game. From there, Milligan went ahead by as many as 11 and by as many as six in the fourth quarter.
  
For Tennessee Wesleyan, Simpson led all scorers with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Two other Bulldogs reached double-digit scoring: Gina Dick with 17 points and Kenzie Conn with 10 off the bench.
 
Milligan's next game will be at the NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship, scheduled for Thursday-Wednesday, March 9-15, in Sioux City, Iowa. Milligan will be making its second consecutive trip to the NAIA national tournament after winning the AAC regular season for the second straight season. More information on the tournament, including schedule and seeding, will be released by the NAIA once all conference tournaments have finished.