Undefeated Transylvania women’s team reaches Division III Sweet Sixteen

The Transylvania women’s basketball team advanced to the NCAA Division III Sweet Sixteen with a 77-55 rout of Southern Virginia on Saturday night at the Clive M. Beck Center in Lexington.

Laken Ball got the Pioneers, still undefeated at 26-0, off to a strong start by scoring seven of their first nine points, and Transylvania led 22-15 at the end of the first quarter. The Knights (24-5) continued to fall behind, trailing 38-24 at halftime and 66-37 through three quarters.

Southern Virginia going 4-for-16 from the field in the second quarter was decisive.

“Defensively, they’ve just really been getting after it all year,” Transy head coach Juli Fulks said of her team. “Finding ways to get stops, and showing it again tonight in the first half, for sure.”

Kennedi Stacy, a former Magoffin County standout, led the Pioneers with 24 points and eight rebounds. Ball was next with 23 points and eight boards. Madison Kellione (Harrison County) added 16 points and six assists while Dasia Thornton had six points, 10 rebounds and five steals.

Transylvania will face Mary Hardin-Baylor on Friday. The time and site for that matchup had not been announced as of noon Sunday.

Mary Hardin-Baylor (24-4) opened the Division III Tournament with a 79-76 win against previously unbeaten Webster and followed that with a 75-57 defeat of East Texas Baptist.