SAVANNAH, Ga. – The SCAD men's bowling team won the Southern States Athletic Conference Championship on Saturday, earning the automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship.
TOURNAMENT FORMAT: The two-day tournament consisted of a double-elimination bracket. Each match started with five individual games and then four baker games, with the total pinfall of each determining a winner. If both teams were tied after the first two games, then a third tie-breaker in the form of best-of-five baker games determined the match winner.
Once a team drops a match, they will compete in a best-of-seven baker game match for a chance to continue in the tournament.
Each team competing was seeded based on RPI rankings heading into the tournament.
1: SCAD Savannah
2: Milligan
3: SCAD Atlanta
4: Mobile
5: Blue Mountain
6: Stillman
MATCH PLAY: In SCAD's first match of the tournament, they faced No. 4 Mobile and won the first point after earning a total pinfall of 1,071 to Mobile's 902 in the individual games. Mobile fought back and won the baker point with a total pinfall of 801 to the Bees' 779. In the tie-breaker match, SCAD won in three to advance to round five, match seven.
The Bees faced No. 2 Milligan in the next round and won the first point with a total pinfall of 1,007 to Milligan's 979 after the five individual games. Milligan forced a tie-breaker with a total pinfall of 852 to SCAD's 716 after four baker games. The Bees won the first, third, and fifth baker games to advance to the final.
In the Championship Final, SCAD Savannah faced No. 2 Milligan once again. In the individual games, SCAD earned the point with a total pinfall of 985 to Milligan's 902. Milligan won the second point with a total pinfall of 801 to the Bees' 760 to force a tie-breaker. Unfortunately, Milligan won three baker games to win the match, forcing a final best-of-seven baker game match as both teams had only one loss.
The Bees came out strong, winning the first four baker games to earn the SSAC Championship title.
WHAT'S NEXT? The Bees will travel to Smyrna, Tenn., for the USBC Sectionals on March 7-9.
