The semifinal round of the 2026 USA South Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Tournament has concluded with second-seeded Southern Virginia and top-seeded Brevard grabbing victories to head to the finals.
In Buena Vista, Virginia, Southern Virginia jumped out to a 20-11 lead after the first quarter only to have that erased by third-seeded N.C. Wesleyan during the next ten minutes as the score was knotted-up at 36 at the halftime break. An 8-0 run by the Battling Bishops in the middle of the third quarter helped lead to a four-point advantage heading into the final quarter. After a jumper gave the Knights a four-point lead with just under five minutes remaining, N.C. Wesleyan put together an 11-2 run to go up by five points with just over one minute remaining. That lead was down to two points when SVU's Aysia Foster stole an inbounds pass, drove the length of the floor, and put in a game-tying layup while being fouled. The ensuing made free throw would end up being the difference as the Knights completed the comeback with a 74-71 victory. Southern Virginia's Maria Savvun led all scorers with 21 points while Dorinda Jordan had a team-high 19 points for N.C. Wesleyan.
In Brevard, North Carolina, the host Tornados scored the first ten points of the game and never trailed in a win over fifth-seeded William Peace, 100-77. The Pacers battled back after that first blow to get to within six points after the first ten minutes. The Brevard lead shrunk to two points twice in the second quarter before it grew to ten points heading into halftime. It would be a big third quarter that helped secure the win for the Tornados as the 24-11 margin proved too much to overcome for William Peace. Brevard had two 20-point scorers as Jada Wilkins-Petty poured in a game-high 25 points while Kayden Johnson tallied a double-double of 21 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. For William Peace, Zikira Henderson scored a team-high 18 points with six rebounds.
The finals are now set as Southern Virginia will travel to Brevard on Saturday, February 28 for a rematch of last year's title tilt. The Tornados will look to capture the program's first USA South tournament championship while the Knights attempt to grab the tournament title for the third consecutive year and fourth time in the past five seasons.
Please continue to visit the Tournament Website for up-to-date information.
2026 USA South Women's Basketball Tournament Schedule
(All contests played at the higher-seeded team in the matchup)
First Round - Tuesday, February 24
Game 1: #8 Meredith - 61 #1 Brevard - 83
Game 2: #7 Methodist - 44 #2 Southern Virginia - 71
Game 3: #6 Greensboro - 69 #3 N.C. Wesleyan - 91
Game 4: #5 William Peace - 63 #4 Pfeiffer - 62
Semifinals - Thursday, February 26
#5 William Peace - 77 #1 Brevard - 100
#3 N.C. Wesleyan - 71 #2 Southern Virginia - 74
Final - Saturday, February 28
#2 Southern Virginia at #1 Brevard - 2:00pm