Walnut Ridge, Ark. – Mallory Shetley scored 16 of her game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter to help lead the No. 2 seed Columbia women's basketball team to an 81-75 victory at No. 1-seed Williams Baptist University Monday in the championship game of the 2025 American Midwest Conference (AMC) Tournament before a sellout crowd at the Southerland-Mabee Center.
 
The AMC title for Columbia was its fourth in a row and ninth in program history.
 
Mya Miller added 19 points and Lexi Miller had 18 and became the 21st member of the 1,000-point club (999) with a corner three with 8:33 left in the first quarter. Ashtyn Klusmeyer added 10 points and five blocks off the bench for the Cougars.
 
Columbia shot 48.4 percent (31-64) from the field in the win and tied a season-high with 10 blocks. The Cougars also had a 46-33 rebounding advantage, led by Tori Rubel's game-high 12 boards.
 
Columbia won its fifth-straight game to improve to 28-3, while Williams Baptist had its 22-game win streak snapped and fell to 27-4.
 
Lexi Miller had the hot hand in the first quarter scoring nine of the first 13 points as Columbia led 13-9. The Cougars hit 11-of-22 from the field in the opening quarter and held a slim 24-21 advantage as Lexi Miller had nine points.
 
Williams Baptist went on a 15-4 run in the second quarter to gain a 36-30 advantage with 5:44 to play before half. Mya Miller scored the first six points of the quarter for Columbia.
 
The Cougars pounded the ball inside on three-straight possessions to gain a 37-36 lead, and closed the half on a 13-2 run to take a 43-38 advantage.
 
Mya Miller led all scorers with 14 points, while Shetley and Lexi Miller added nine points each. Columbia shot 47.4 percent (18-38) from the field and had a 24-15 rebounding advantage with eight blocks.
 
Williams Baptist went on a 14-2 run early in the third to gain a 52-47 lead, but Klusmeyer and Lexi Miller drilled threes to highlight a 7-0 run as CC got the lead back at 54-52.
 
Carmen Taylor scored the final eight points of the third quarter, including a three at the buzzer, as Williams Baptist led 60-54. The Eagles outscored the Cougars 22-11 in the quarter.
 
A 12-0 run by Columbia put the Cougars in front 66-62 with 6:46 to play, highlighted by eight points by Shetley. Rubel's three from the top of the key put Columbia up 71-64 with 5:13 to play and forced a Williams Baptist timeout.

Carmen Taylor and Kaylee Isaacs led Williams Baptist with 17 points each, while Charmen Taylor (16 points), Sara Crowe (10 points) and Monica Horne (10 points, 10 rebounds) also scored in double figures. The Eagles hit 13-of-14 from the free-throw line in the defeat.
 
The 2025 NAIA Women's Basketball Selection show is set for Thursday, March 6 at 6 p.m., while first-round play is set to begin on Friday, March 14 at a site to be determined. Columbia and Williams Baptist have both earned an automatic bid to the NAIA Tournament.
 
The Cougars are making their 10th-straight NAIA Tournament appearance and 21st in school history.
 
NOTES: Columbia won two of three meetings against Williams Baptist this year and leads the all-time series 51-4 ... Abby Backes tied a career-high with 10 assists and moved into third in program history (425) ... Columbia has won 28 or more games for the eighth time ... The Cougars snapped the Eagles' 15-game home win streak ... Mya Miller scored the 500th point of her career.