For the first time in program history, the A-State women's basketball team is NCAA Tournament-bound, as it topped top-seeded James Madison 86-79 in overtime Monday afternoon in the championship game of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament inside the Pensacola Bay Center.
Tournament Most Outstanding Player Crislyn Rose led the Red Wolves (21-10) with 23 points and helped A-State outscore the Dukes (28-5) 35-22 in the final 15 minutes.
JMU entered on a 20-game winning streak, including an 18-0 conference record. The Dukes were seeking their second Sun Belt Conference title since joining in 2022 and their 11th league tournament championship in program history.
McCollister made back-to-back 3-pointers in a span of 23 seconds to tie it at 63-all with 5:57 left in the fourth quarter. Following JMU's second straight turnover, Rose sank another 3-pointer to give A-State its first lead since it was 23-21 late in the first quarter.
Rose made a long jumper with her foot on the arc and she added a 3-pointer from the corner on the next possession for a 77-71 lead in overtime. Ashanti Barnes finally made JMU’s first overtime field goal at the 2:02 mark. But the Dukes gave up two offensive rebounds at the other end and McCollister and Wynter Rogers combined to make 3 of 4 free throws to make it 80-73.
Anna Griffin added 13 points, Rogers had 12 and Kennedie Montue 11 for A-State.
Peyton McDaniel led James Madison (28-5) with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Barnes also had a double-double with 17 points and 13 boards.
McDaniel scored seven points during a 17-0 run in the second quarter to give James Madison a 40-23 lead. The Dukes led 40-32 at the break.
A win would have marked 21 consecutive victories for the Dukes, matching the longest winning streak in program history with the 1990-91 team.
NEXT UP
A-State will head to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history, but the destination will be unknown until Sunday, March 16, at 7:00 p.m. Ticket and selection show watch party information will be announced at a later date.
The tournament begins on March 19-20 with the First Four, while the First Round is scheduled for March 21-22. The first and second rounds will be hosted at campus sites.
This article contains content from Arkansas State University Athletics press releases and the Associated Press.
