Tweet #theGAC  SHAWNEE, Okla. – Southern Nazarene’s stellar defense turned in the best performance seen in a Great American Conference Women’s Basketball Championship final as the Crimson Storm stifled Harding in a 57-46 victory on Sunday from FireLake Arena to claim the 2023 title.

The Crimson Storm (27-4) held the Lady Bisons (25-7) to 28.1 percent shooting and permitted them to go just 1-for-10 from the 3-point arc. GAC Defensive Player of the Year Hannah Giddey lived up to her billing as she blocked four shots to raise her NCAA Division II-leading total to 88. She frustrated GAC Player of the Year Sage Hawley into shooting just 5-for-20.

Giddey carried the Crimson Storm offense as she countered with a season-high 24 points of her own. She earned Tournament MVP honors after averaging 20.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.3 blocks in the three victories. She shot 58.8 percent from the floor.

Georgia Adams and Cassandra Awatt, two members of Southern Nazarene’s 2021 GAC Championship-winning team, joined Giddey on the All-Tournament Team. Against the Lady Bisons, Adams went 4-for-4 from the 3-point arc in scoring 12 points. Awatt, the 2021 Tournament MVP, pulled down double-digit rebounds for the second-straight game as she grabbed 10 on Sunday.

Jacie Evans led Harding with 21 points and eight rebounds to garner a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Rory Geer averaged 8.3 rebounds over the three games to earn an All-Tournament spot, as did Hawley, who averaged 19.0 points and 10.7 rebounds.

Ouachita Baptist’s Makayla Miller and Oklahoma Baptist’s Madison Chambers filled out the eight-player All-Tournament Team. Miller averaged 20.5 points on 56.5 percent shooting to help the Tigers reach the semifinals for the first time since 2012. Chambers averaged 19.0 points as the Bison collected the program’s first-ever win at the GAC Championships.

Southern Nazarene earns the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Central Region Championships. The Crimson Storm will learn their destination and first-round opponent during Sunday night’s selection show. It streams on NCAA.com at 9:30 PM.