ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Benedict College women's basketball team advanced to the championship game of the 2020 SIAC Basketball Tournament with a dominating 69-34 victory over LeMoyne-Owen in a semifinal matchup on Saturday at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center.

The 12^th-ranked Lady Tigers advance to the SIAC Championship for the first time since winning the conference title in 2017. Benedict, the top seed in the East, will face Tuskegee, the third seed from the West, at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Tuskegee advanced to the finals with a 67-62 victory over Miles, the top seed from the West, in Friday's other semifinal contest.

Benedict held the Lady Magicians to an opponents' season-low 16 percent shooting. LeMoyne-Owen made just eight field goals on the day, out of 50 attempts. After falling behind early, the Lady Magicians tried to shoot their way back into the game, and made just one of 22 3-point attempts (4.5 percent).

Ay'Anna Bey led the Lady Tigers with 22 points and 11 rebounds, her 15^th double-double of the season. Freshman Amaya Ashby also had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Camryn Bostick pulled down 10 rebounds to go along with seven points.

Benedict, which came into the game ranked second in the country in rebounding margin, dominated the boards and had a 59-23 rebounding advantage.

Jasmine Gholson opened the game with a 3-pointer, and the Lady Tigers jumped out to a quick 12-2 lead and pushed the lead to 22-8 by the end of the first quarter. Benedict took as much as a 19-point lead in the second quarter before the Lady Magicians scored just before the half to make it 31-14 at the break.

A 12-2 run by Benedict in the third quarter made it 45-22 with 2:13 remaining in the period. Benedict held a 46-25 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The Lady Tigers used a 10-0 run early in the fourth quarter to build the lead to 56-27, with Bey capping off the run with a 3-pointer.

Benedict improves to 26-3 on the season. LeMoyne-Owen concludes its season at 13-16.

Next up for the Lady Tigers is Tuskegee, 17-13. In their only regular-season meeting, Benedict took a 54-52 victory on the road. Wykira Johnson-Kelly led Benedict with 15 points. Benedict trailed by seven points heading into the fourth quarter, but scored the final five points of the game to pull out the victory.

Tickets for Saturday's championship contest are $20. An all-tournament pass is $50. Youths 18 and under will be admitted free. SIAC students will be admitted free with their student ID. Tickets can be purchased online here.

The tournament will be streamed live by FloSports here. Streaming plans start at $12.50 per month. Live stats are available here.