BILLINGS, Mont. – Another stunning upset almost didn't happen, as four-seed Montana Western almost lost a 6 point lead with 10 seconds left in what was eventually a 60-57 win over one-seed Campbellsville (Ky.). The Tigers are the first one-seed to lose in the 2018 NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Championships presented by Wells Fargo, and each of the top three seeds in the Duer Bracket have been eliminated.
With 10 seconds to go, Montana Western's point guard Brianna King sank 2 free throws to seemingly clinch the upset with the Bulldogs leading 60-54. After the free throws, CU called a timeout to advance the ball into its offensive zone and Madison Clements hit her fourth three of the game to bring the Tigers within 3 points.
Even with that three, all UMW had to do was inbound cleanly with four seconds left and it would have the win. While easy on paper, that proved more difficult in practice as a five-second violation was called and suddenly Campbellsville had the ball under its own basket with four seconds left in a one-score game.
The inbound pass found an open shooter, but not only did the shot not all, but it was a long two and not a three anyway. Campbellsville got the offensive board but couldn't get off another shot before the final buzzer sounded.
That final sequence could have been much different if not for an extra 2 points essentially given to Montana Western with 1:10 on the clock. During a timeout, with UMW in possession of the ball and a 5 point lead, the Campbellsville coach was called for a technical foul and the Bulldogs went ahead by 7 on the ensuing free throws.
Despite how close the final seconds were, Montana Western led for the final 15 minutes of the game. The Bulldogs used a 20-4 run to start the third quarter to turn a 4 point deficit at the half into a 12 point lead.
Campbellsville spent the rest of the game narrowing the gap but never got closer than 3 points.
Offensively, the Bulldogs were a balanced unit with four players scoring 10 points or more. Sophomore Savanna Bignell stepped up in the team's biggest game of the year. She entered the game averaging 4 ppg but finished with a team leading 14 points with 6 rebounds in just 19 minutes on the floor.
For the Tigers, it was Clements with a second straight great shooting night, going 4-8 from three for a game high 22 points after going 6-7 from three for 32 points in the team's first round game.
The loss pushes Campbellsville's quest for its first title a little further. The Tigers have made 25 NAIA tournament appearances, including 10 in a row, but have never been able to finish the season with a win.
Montana Western advances to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2003. They will play six-seed Menlo (Calif.) on Saturday, March 17 at 2:00 p.m.
