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
June 23, 2004
Lady Trojans To Open Against Armstrong
April 19, 2004
Fogle-Wilson Is Third Signee For Lady Trojans
April 15, 2004
Pederson Announces The Addition Of Two Players
April 12, 2004
Lady Trojans Finish No. 1 In Scoring
April 12, 2004
Chiles Named To All-Freshman Team By DII Bulletin
March 16, 2004
Chiles Named To East Regional All-Tourney Team
March 13, 2004
Glenville Escapes AC Upset Bid, 72-71
March 12, 2004
Chiles, Lady Trojans Top Toppers, 88-78
March 11, 2004
Lady Trojans Ready For First-Round Game
March 8, 2004
Lady Trojans Play At 1 P.M. Friday
March 7, 2004
Lady Trojans Receive No. 6 Seed In East Region
March 6, 2004
WE'RE DANCIN'!!! LADY TROJANS ON THEIR WAY TO NCAA
March 5, 2004
Langston Named Honorable Mention All-CVAC
March 5, 2004
Lady Trojans Will Play For CVAC Title Saturday
March 4, 2004
Chiles Named CVAC Freshman Of The Year
March 3, 2004
Lady Trojans Say Good Night To The Knights, 93-76
March 2, 2004
Chiles Named Player Of The Week For A Second Time
March 2, 2004
AC Women To Face St. Andrews In Second Round
February 29, 2004
Hausman, Chiles Gun Anderson Past Queens, 89-75
February 28, 2004
Lady Trojans Earn 20th Victory, Whip Mount Olive
February 23, 2004
Road Warriors: Lady Trojans Beat Lees-McRae, 75-66
February 21, 2004
Lady Trojans Beat Coker For Sixth Straight Victory
February 18, 2004
Lady Trojans Win Fifth Straight, Bounce Bobcats
February 17, 2004
Chiles Named CVAC Player Of The Week
February 17, 2004
Lady Trojans Second In The Nation In Scoring
February 16, 2004
Lady Trojans Run Past Limestone, 119-69
February 14, 2004
Lady Trojans Upset CVAC Leader Barton
February 12, 2004
Lady Trojans Do It Again, Rally To Beat Pfeiffer
February 9, 2004
Lady Trojans Snap Back To Beat Abbey, 95-88
February 7, 2004
St. Andrews Rallies Past Slumping Lady Trojans
February 5, 2004
Erskine Dials Long Distance To Upset Lady Trojans
January 31, 2004
Barton Women End AC's Winning Streak
January 30, 2004
Lady Trojans Survive Mount Olive Upset Bid
January 27, 2004
Lady Trojans Fourth In Nation In Scoring
January 24, 2004
Lady Trojans Crack Limestone, 112-68
January 21, 2004
Lady Trojans Enter Regional Rankings
January 19, 2004
Segers Tallies 33 To Lead AC Past Pfeiffer
January 17, 2004
Lady Trojans Rally To Beat Belmont Abbey
January 16, 2004
Lady Trojans Ranked In National Statistics
January 12, 2004
Lady Trojans Take Down Queens, 84-72
January 10, 2004
Lady Trojans Hit 90 Again, Rout St. Andrews
January 7, 2004
Lady Trojans Shoot 67 Percent To Hammer Blue Hose
January 3, 2004
Lady Trojans Overwhelm Converse, 103-83
December 18, 2003
Firebirds Fly Past Lady Trojans, 71-66
December 16, 2003
Shoemate Named CVAC Player Of The Week
December 12, 2003
Shoemate Returns To Lead AC Past North Greenville
December 6, 2003
Segers Strikes For 31 As AC Takes Down Coker
December 4, 2003
Chiles, Segers Score 23 Apiece To Lead AC Past NC
December 1, 2003
Erskine Women Gun Down Anderson, 79-74
November 29, 2003
Lady Trojans Get Past Converse, 76-65
November 21, 2003
Lady Trojans Lose Opener To Coastal
November 20, 2003
Lady Trojans Open At Coastal Carolina Friday
November 18, 2003
Willis Signs To Play Basketball At AC
October 9, 2003
Lees-McRae's Lady Leads Preseason All-CVAC Team
October 2, 2003
AC Women Picked Third In Preseason Hoops Poll