Vanderbilt Wins Inaugural Southland Bowling League Championship
Southland Bowling League
Championship Bracket | Championship Round Replay | Photo Gallery
HOUSTON, Texas – Third-seeded Vanderbilt won the 2015 Southland Bowling League title by defeating top-seeded Arkansas State, 4-2, in the championship match. The sixth-ranked Commodores were undefeated in the inaugural championship, going a perfect 4-0 over the two-day event.
Vanderbilt was outscored in the first two games of the championship match against the Red Wolves before storming back to claim the final four. Arkansas State won the first two stanzas 200-179 and 222-163 but only scored 157 in the third game, while the Commodores had a score of 206. In the fourth game Vanderbilt edged Arkansas State, 185 to 182, before both teams turned it up a notch in the final two games. The Commodores had scores of 224 and 207 to finish the match and clinch the title, while the Red Wolves tallied 200 and 201 points.
A second match was not necessary between Vanderbilt and Arkansas State in the championship round since the Commodores had not lost a match in the tournament.
Arkansas State earned a 4-2 match victory in the back draw final this morning to advance into the championship round with the Commodores. The Red Wolves were tied at two games apiece with Valparaiso before taking the final two games of the match with scores of 192 and 224. The fifth-seeded Crusaders were eliminated from contention for the title after only scoring 136 and 155 in the final two games.
Vanderbilt senior Nicole Mosesso earned most valuable bowler honors while Arkansas State senior Sarah Lokker, Valparaiso seniors Sadie Jasinski and Torrie Decker, Stephen F. Austin freshman Stephanie Schwartz, and Vanderbilt sophomore Giselle Poss were named to the all-tournament team.
The Commodores and the Southland Bowling League teams will now wait for the NCAA championship eight-team selection that takes place this Wednesday at 3 p.m. CT on NCAA.com. The NCAA Bowling Championship will be held April 9-11 in St. Louis, Mo.
The Southland Bowling League was formed earlier this year and by the formalization as a league, the association can qualify for an NCAA automatic bid no later than the 2017 national championship. Until an automatic qualification is provided, Southland Bowling League members will be at-large candidates for the NCAA Championship.
Day Two Results
Final Back Draw Round
No. 1 Arkansas State 4, No. 5 Valparaiso 2
(W240, L202, W218, L177, W192, W224) - (L126, W204, L138, W190, L136, L155)
Championship Round
No. 3 Vanderbilt 4, No. 1 Arkansas State 2
(L179, L163, W206, W185, W224, W207) - (W200, W222, L157, L182, L200, L201)
All-Tournament Team
|
Name |
Class |
School |
|
|
Sarah Lokker |
Sr. |
Arkansas State |
|
Sadie Jasinski |
Sr. |
Valparaiso |
|
Stephanie Schwartz |
Fr. |
Stephen F. Austin |
|
Torrie Decker |
Sr. |
Valparaiso |
|
Giselle Poss |
So. |
Vanderbilt |
Championship MVB
|
Nicole Mosesso |
Sr. |
Vanderbilt |