DUE WEST, S.C. - LaShonda Chiles scored 28 points and earned tournament MVP honors to lead Anderson College to a 78-63 victory over Coker College in the championship game of the 2004 CVAC Women's Tournament. With the victory, Anderson, 24-6 overall, collected its first CVAC Tournament title and earned its first trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Coker finishes its season at 19-11. "This championship means that a lot of hard work paid off," said Anderson head coach Kevin Pederson, who has directed the dramatic turnaround in the AC program in the last two and a half years. "We had three goals before the season - win the conference, win 20 games, make the NCAA Tournament. We talk about winning a championship to every single recruit. We tell them not to come to Anderson if they don't want to win a championship. We want the pressure. We want the bull's eye on our backs. Because if the bull's eye is on your back, you're in the right place." Chiles, a 5-foot-2 freshman from Greenwood, S.C., was 10-for-21 from the field and 5-for-12 from behind the arc. She also had five rebounds and four assists. "LaShonda played a lot bigger than 5-foot-2 today," Pederson said. "There's no doubt she should have been the player of the year in the conference. She is the most consistent player I have ever coached. She shows up every night, and she's got pressure on her every game. Today, she got us going in the first half." The victory, Anderson's 12th straight, did not come easy. Anderson led from start to finish but did not pull away until late in the game. Anderson's largest lead in the first half was seven points three and a half minutes into the game. The Cobras stayed in the game in the first half by making 11 of 13 from the free throw line, while Anderson shot just two free throws and made one. But Chiles balanced out the free throw stat by scoring 16 points in the first half, including a leaning 20-footer with seconds remaining to give Anderson a 34-31 halftime lead. A 3-point goal by Kim Hausman, who also had five assists, three steals, and two blocks, gave Anderson its first double-digit lead - 49-39 - with 13:55 remaining. A 3-point play by Leann Chandler and a bucket by Michelle Glover pulled the Cobras to within five - 51-46 - with 11:57 to play. But the Cobras would get no closer. Anderson went on a 24-12 run to put the game away and lock up its first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Two free throws by Chiles, two free throws by Hausman and a layup by Decole Shoemate capped the run to give the Lady Trojans a 75-58 lead with 34 seconds to play. "I thought we could do it quickly at Anderson," Pederson said. "We told them after we lost to Lees-McRae in the tournament last year that we would go find the players to help us get it done. That's what we did." Anderson has just one senior on the roster and has two freshman starters - Chiles and Deidra Langston. Following Chiles for Anderson were Shoemate and Stephanie Ponds with 10 points apiece. Shemika Reed did not score for Anderson, but she did pull down a team-high 10 rebounds. Selena Davis scored 19 points and Shamae Hemingway added 15 to lead the Cobras. Anderson shot 41 percent from the field to 37 percent for Coker. Anderson forced 20 turnovers and held Coker under 38 percent from the field in both halves. Anderson scored 25 points off Coker turnovers. Anderson's bench outscored the Coker bench, 29-13. The tournament championship continues a rich history for Anderson women's basketball. In the mid-70s when the school was a junior college, the Lady Trojans won four national titles. Joining Chiles on the all-tournament team were teammates Shoemate and Langston, Kelly Lamotta of Barton, Yvette Battle of Belmont Abbey, and Hemmingway and Davis from Coker. CVAC Championship: Anderson 78, Coker 63 Season Statistics