Hot Shooting 'Roos Roll Into SCAC Semifinals

The third-seeded Austin College Kangaroos got off to a blistering start from three point range on their way to a 68-42 victory over the sixth-seeded Colorado College Tigers in quarterfinal action of the 2013 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Tournament on Friday afternoon in Hughey Gymnasium. 

Austin College knocked down 8-of-13 three pointers in the first half as they sprinted to a 40-19 halftime lead, with Shayna Clardy knocking down four first half triples while Erin Riley had three of her own. After the 'Roos took an early 8-6 lead, a three from Riley jump started a 17-3 run that put the Tigers in a 25-9 hole with 7:10 remaining in the opening frame. 

Kalli Kemling scored four quick points to try to keep Colorado College in the game, but Clardy knocked down three of her four threes over the next four minute stretch as Austin College pushed its lead to 37-13 with under three minutes before the half. The Tigers were ice cold from the field in the first half, knocking down just 22.7% of their field goal attempts. 

Colorado College's offense did not get much better in the second half as they shot 32% from the field, but the Tigers held Austin College in check from long distance and cut the margin to 48-30 on a Katie Wirth jumper with 10:45 left but that's as close as things would get as Brittany Stepanski scored six in a row and the 'Roos knocked down their free throws down the stretch. 

Clardy and Stepanski led all scorers with 16 points as Clardy knocked down 4-of-6 treys while Stepanski just missed out on a double-double with nine rebounds, and Riley hit 3-of-5 threes on her way to 11 points and seven boards. 

Kemling paced the Tigers with 15 points on 4-of-9 shooting and added eight rebounds and five steals, while Tyus was the only other Colorado College player to reach double figures with 11 points and also had four steals. 

Austin College moves on to the semifinals tomorrow where they will face the second-seeded Southwestern University Pirates with tip time set for 3:00 p.m. The winner of that game will move on to Sunday's SCAC Championship, where they will meet either the top seeded Trinity University Tigers or the fifth-seeded University of Dallas Crusaders.