COLUMBIA, S.C. — Samford’s magical run at the Southern Conference women’s basketball tournament didn’t carry over to March Madness.
Southern University had something to do with that.
Jaylia Reed scored 16 points, DeMya Porter posted a double-double by adding 15 with 12 rebounds, and the Southern Jaguars closed on a 14-2 run to beat the Samford Bulldogs, 65-53, in a matchup of No. 16 seeds at Colonial Life Arena on Thursday night in the NCAA Division I tournament.
Southern (20-13), from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, won a game in the First Four for the second straight season, earning a round-of-64 meeting with regional No. 1 seed and site host South Carolina on Saturday. This is the Jaguars’ eighth appearance overall in the NCAA tourney and their third in a four-year stretch, but their still seeking their first trip to the round of 32.
It was just the third appearance overall for Samford (16-19), which was part of March Madness for the first time since back-to-back first-round exits in 2011-12 for the Bulldogs from Birmingham, Alabama.