BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—In a decisive 64-45 victory in the semifinals of the Southern Athletic Association Championship, the top-seeded Birmingham-Southern women's basketball team defeated fifth-seeded Oglethorpe, Saturday afternoon in Bill Battle Coliseum.

The Panthers moved to 23-3, while the Stormy Petrels ended their season at 13-14. BSC moves on to face the winner of the game between second-seeded Millsaps and sixth-seeded Centre.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• BSC scored the first eight points of the game and would never trail, pulling ahead 17-4 by the 3:48 mark of the first quarter and leading 24-12 at the end of the quarter.
• After the Panthers scored the first four points of the second period, OU used a 7-0 run to cut it to 28-19 at the 6:26 mark, but that was the closest they would come.
• BSC pulled back out to a double-digit lead and led 40-28 at the half, and held a comfortable lead the rest of the way, going up by as much as 21, 64-43, late in the fourth period.

NOTABLE

• Senior Yorisha Bryant, the 2016 SAA Newcomer of the Year, led all players with 15 points on 6-8 shooting.
• Junior Laura Van Peursem led all players with 12 rebounds off the bench as well as four blocks.
• Senior Halle Knowles added 14 points and four assists, and senior Ashley Curry had 10 points.

UP NEXT

• BSC faces the winner of the game between No. 2 Millsaps and No. 6 Centre in the SAA Championship final Sunday at 1 p.m.