Box Score Memphis - It was a gorgeous day on the campus of Rhodes College for the 2021 Southern Athletic Association Women's Lacrosse Tournament Championship contest between top-seeded Rhodes and No. 2-seeded Centre College. The Lynx pulled away from the Colonels near the end of the first half, on their way to a 22-7 victory. The win marks the sixth straight SAA Tournament Championship for the Lynx.

Before the game, 13-year-old Ayden Crawford joined captains KK Mulholland and Mary Katherine Hardy at midfield for the coin toss. Ayden was also recognized at halftime as the Lynx and Colonels celebrated his final round of treatment for Craniopharyngioma, a type of brain cancer, at St. Jude's Research Hospital here in Memphis. Rhodes and Centre had teamed up in the Fall  and raised funds in the 2020 Virtual St. Jude's Marathon Weekend.

Centre struck first and often, scoring the first four goals of the game in the first 10 minutes of play. After their fourth goal, Aiden Pike sparked a four-goal run for the Lynx to tie the game. Hardy scored her 31st goal of the season to put the Colonels ahead 5-4 with 12:40 left in the first half. It would mark the final time that the Colonels held the lead. 

Rhodes went on a 4-2 run to lead 8-7 with 3:46 left before the break. The Lynx closed out the half with four unanswered goals, including three in 45 seconds. 

Those four goals were the beginning of 14 straight goals for the Lynx, who held Centre scoreless in the second half. Lynx goalkeeper Emma Bradley was unstoppable in the game, tying the program record of 18 saves. She made 10 of those in the first half, totaled eight ground balls and caused two turnovers.

Payton Bennett led the game with 10 points, scoring seven goals on 10 shots. She also added three assists. Aidan Pike and Baylee Barker both totaled eight points. Barker also recorded seven goals in the game and tallied nine draw controls. Pike totaled five goals and three assists. Carina Wesker added another five draw controls for the Lynx. 

The win ensures an automatic bid into the 2021 NCAA Tournament, where Rhodes will be one of 37 teams playing for the championship. The NCAA will announce their opponent on Monday, May 3 in an online selection show at NCAA.com at 10:30 a.m. ET.

During the awards ceremony it was announced that Baylee Barker, Payton Bennett, and Hannah Swinerton were named to the 2021 SAA All-Tournament team. Emma Bradley was also named to the team and named Tournament MVP. The full list of all-tournament honors can be found below:
Oglethorpe: Jordan Chandler
BSC: Carly Gainey
Centre: Mary Catherine Hardy, Clare Heaney, Bella Tacogue
Rhodes: Emma Bradley (MVP), Baylee Barker, Payton Bennett, Hannah Swinerton