JACKSON, Miss. - With a two-point lead and under 90 seconds remaining the Hendrix College women's basketball team needed a big play, and turned to their point guard. Junior Caitlin Kriesel-Bigler drilled a three-pointer with 1:19 to go that proved to be the dagger as the fourth-seeded Warriors advanced past the fifth seed Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels 73-66 in the quarterfinal round of the Southern Athletic Association Tournament.

Kriesel-Bigler finished with 25 points on 8-of-16 shooting to lead the Warriors' offense. The junior's offensive output crushed her previous performances in the postseason. Entering Friday's game, Kriesel-Bigler had just 16 combined points in three previous playoff games, but gleamed in Friday's postseason spotlight leading the Warriors into the SAA semifinal round.

Sara Dyslin chipped in with her 11th double-double of the season, scoring 11 points and snagging 13 rebounds. Anna King poured in 13 points while senior Kati Broberg dropped 12 in the victory. 

In the first half, Hendrix jumped out to an early 7-2 lead and led by as many as six points before the Stormy Petrels came roaring back. Oglethorpe outscored the Warriors 22-7 over an 11-minute stretch to take a 32-23 lead with 2:51 left in the frame. The Orange and Black fought back before the halftime whistle, knotting the score with nine unanswered points including a last-second three by Kriesel-Bigler. The two squads headed into the break with the score tied at 32-32. 

After the intermission, the Warriors continued to control the tempo. Though the Stormy Petrels drew close, the Warriors never relinquished the lead in the second half. Hendrix led by as many as nine points in the second half, taking a 64-55 lead on a King layup with just under four minute to play, but Oglethorpe continued to battle. Led by Ciaira Hughes, the Stormy Petrels cut the lead to two with just under two minutes left. That's when Kriesel-Bigler shot down their comeback hopes with a long-distance bucket as the Orange and Black came away with a 73-66 victory.

Hendrix Notes
- Kriesel-Bigler finished with 25 points, tying her second-highest scoring output on the season.
- Sara Dyslin registered her 11th double-double of the season, her third against Oglethorpe.
- The Orange and Black posted a 3-0 season sweep of Oglethorpe, the first time the team has gone 3-0 against an SAA opponent in one season.  
- The Warriors shot just 15-for-29 (51.7%) from the free throw line, their lowest percentage against a conference opponent this season.
- Hendrix reaches the SAA Semifinals for the second time in three seasons. The squad has never reached the SAA Finals.

Oglethorpe Notes
- Ciaira Hughes finished with 34 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Stormy Petrels in both categories. 
- Oglethorpe forced the Warriors to commit 18 turnovers and outscored Hendrix 21-0 in points off of turnovers.
- The Stormy Petrels were bounced from the SAA Tournament in the quarterfinal round for the third straight season.

Up Next
Hendrix advances to the SAA Semifinals where they will take on the host and top seed Millsaps College on Saturday. The Warriors lost both regular season contests against the Majors.