Point Earns First-Ever Women's Basketball Tournament Title

KINGSPORT, Tenn. - Point came out of the gate firing on all cylinders and never looked back as it captured the 2023 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Women's Basketball Tournament championship on Saturday.

The four-day event is being held at the MeadowView Marriott Convention Center & Conference Resort in Kingsport, Tenn.

The No. 2 seed Skyhawks never trailed and the score was only tied once at 3-all on their way to dispatching top-seeded Bryan 81-64.

After not making a 3-pointer in their semifinal game against Montreat, the Skyhawks went 5-for-9 from behind the arc in the first in racing to a 23-8 lead. The rest of the game was an uphill climb for the Lady Lions, who cut the margin to under 10 a few times but could never get it down a two-possession game.

Point tallied 47 second-half points with 27 coming in the fourth to seal the 81-64 victory and secure their first-ever tournament championship.

Jasmine Griggs paced Point with 26 points with Mataea Boyd following with 22. Marta Gimenez added 14 points and six assists.

Boyd earned Tournament MVP honors with Griggs and Gimenez also making the All-Tournament Team. The rest of the All-Tournament Team consists of Kaitlynn Hennessee and Samantha Russell of Bryan, Yeika Jimenez Diaz of Tennessee Wesleyan, and Mariya Williams of Montreat.

Point earns an automatic berth to the NAIA Tournament with the title win. Bryan also advances to nationals as the regular-season champion.

The NAIA National Championship Tournament bracket will be announced on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.

Tournament Schedule
Wednesday, Feb. 22
Game 1 - No. 8 Columbia International (16-13) def. No. 9 Kentucky Christian (15-14), 72-62 (box)
Game 2 - No. 7 Bluefield (15-13) def. No. 10 Columbia (10-18), 82-67 (box)
Thursday, Feb. 23
Game 3 - No. 5 Tennessee Wesleyan (19-8) def. No. 4 Reinhardt (18-11), 65-60 (box)
Game 4 - No. 1 Bryan (26-3) vs. No. 8 Columbia International (16-14), 76-64 (box)
Game 5 - No. 2 Point (21-8) vs. No. 7 Bluefield (15-14), 80-57 (box)
Game 6 - No. 3 Milligan (19-10) vs. No. 6 Montreat (20-9), 60-55 (box)

Friday, Feb. 24
Game 7 - No. 1 Bryan (27-3) def. No. 5 Tennessee Wesleyan (19-9), 59-54 (box)
Game 8 - No. 2 Point (22-8) def. No. 6 Montreat (20-10), 55-39 (box)

Saturday, Feb. 25
Game 9 - Championship Game - No. 2 Point (23-8) def. No. 1 Bryan (27-4), 81-64 (box)