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Chiles, Lady Trojans Top Toppers, 88-78

CALIFORNIA, Pa. - LaShonda Chiles scored 32 points, including eight straight during a critical two-minute span late in the game to lead Anderson College to an 88-78 upset of West Liberty State in the first round of the NCAA Division II Women's East Regional Friday afternoon at Hamer Hall. Anderson, 25-6 overall, advances Glenville State Saturday at 6 p.m. West Liberty State ends its season at 26-5. The Lady Trojans, appearing in their first NCAA Tournament, have won 13 straight and are now 21-0 when they score 80 or more points. "LaShonda is a great example of what hard work can do for you," said Anderson head coach Kevin Pederson. "She worked hard last summer and she was committed to playing as a freshman. She is as consistent as any player I've ever coached. She's fearless. She's not afraid to make a mistake and she's not afraid of a challenge." After the game, West Liberty State senior guard Kelly West said Chiles, the CVAC Freshman of the Year and the MVP of the CVAC Tournament, was the best offensive player she had ever seen. The two teams battled back and fourth the entire game. There were 12 lead changes and eight ties. With 7:11 remaining, West Liberty State led 72-66 after 3-point basket by Dana Levendoski. Anderson's Kim Hausman answered with a 3-point goal from straight away that banked in to cut the Topper lead to 72-69 with 6:58 left. "Once I shot it, I knew it was long but it doesn't matter as long as it goes in," said Hausman, a freshman from Watkinsville, Ga. Shemika Reed and Deidra Langston added 14 points apiece and Stephanie Ponds added 10 for the Lady Trojans. Langston also had a game-high 10 rebounds as Anderson dominated the glass, 36-27. Hausman's basket provided a momentum shift for the Lady Trojans. From that point, Anderson went on an 11-2 run for an 80-74 lead with 2:54 left. "Kim is one of our best shooters," Pederson said. "You can't be afraid to take the big shot. It was not how we planned it. It was an unbelievable shot. The momentum really changed after Kim's shot went in." With Anderson trailing 74-71, Chiles, a 5-foot-2 freshman from Greenwood, S.C., took over. The Lady Trojans cleared out and let her go to work. She scored a layup, a 3-point goal, and another layup to give the Lady Trojans a 78-74 lead. After a media timeout, Chiles canned another jumper and Anderson had an 80-74 lead. "I just did what they asked me to do," said Chiles, who was 14-for-21 from the floor, 3-for-5 from behind the arc and handed out six assists. "When you're 5-foot-2, you have to work harder, you have to be in shape, and you have to practice your jump shots." "I had no worries about this team because I know I have players who have played in big games before," Pederson said. "We didn't treat this game any different. We knew if we could hang around, stay close, and take the lead late, their four seniors would start to worry. We put them in that situation. When it's do or die, there's a lot of pressure." Anderson's fast pace wore out West Liberty State. Three Topper players played 40 minutes and a fourth played 38 minutes. Anderson had just one player - Chiles - who played more than 31 minutes. The Toppers scored just two baskets in the final 2:21 and did not score a point in the final 1:51. West Liberty was led by Ashlea Bland with 27 points. Anderson shot 62 percent in the first half and finished the game at 55 percent. West Liberty State shot 47 percent from the field. The Toppers, one of the nation's top 3-point shooting teams, made 12 of 28 from behind the arc. Anderson's bench outscored the West Liberty State bench, 18-7, and the Lady Trojans averaged 1.24 points per possession. A layup by Reed with 22 seconds remaining in the first half gave Anderson a 46-44 lead at the break. NCAA First Round: Anderson 88, W. Liberty St. 78 Season Statistics