Simmons College of Kentucky Wins First-Ever DII Women's Basketball National Championship

SAINT BONIFACIUS, MN – Simmons College of Kentucky (SCKY) claims the 2024 NCCAA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship, earning the program's first-ever national championship after defeating No. 3 Toccoa Falls College 79-70 on Saturday, March 16 in Saint Bonifacius, MN. Morgan Defoor (5'5''-G) opened the scoring early for the Falcons, draining three shots from beyond the arc, and SCKY took a quick 12-4 lead. Toccoa Falls answered with a run of their own, cutting the deficit to 19-16 after the first quarter. The two teams traded buckets in the second period, but a buzzer beating layup by Defoor ended the half with Simmons ahead 34-28. The Screaming Eagles continued to hang around, down by just four points heading to the final stanza. A pair of threes by Sarah Holland (5'4''-G) in the fourth quarter put Toccoa Falls within four points, but a big three-pointer from Defoor and then a quick jumper from Naria Reed (6'1''-C) put the game out of reach, and Simmons College of Kentucky claimed the 79-70 victory and the 2024 NCCAA DII Women's Basketball National Championship. The Falcons' run started with authority in the opening round, rolling over No. 5 North Central University 89-70. Defoor scored 31 points, nailing nine three-pointers, and pulling down seven rebounds in the win. In the semifinals, the Falcons pulled away from No. 8 Crown College, knocking off the Polars 70-63. Simmons scored 25 points off 24 Crown turnovers, as Jayla Johnson (5'8''-F) led the way with 19 points for the Falcons in the victory. Morgan Defoor of Simmons College of Kentucky was named Tournament Most Outstanding Player. See a complete list of awards, including All-Tournament Team, All-Americans, Scholar-Athletes, and more here.

Courtesy of thenccaa.org/