NJCAA’s Region XVII defending champs wasted no time making its way towards a second straight bid to the NJCAA’s Women’s National Basketball Tournament Saturday afternoon as they made quick work of region tournament semi-final opponent Southern Crescent (GA), 81-25.

The nation’s eighth-leading rebounder Odessa Person (Lineville, AL) saw her per game average climb as she pulled down a monstrous 19 rebounds and add a game-high 13 points in the post-season win for Georgia Northwestern in the tourney’s elimination round.

Partner post player Terika Mostella (Cartersville, GA) added 12 points and 13 boards in the effort.

The number one seeded Lady Cats roared on defense holding the Lady Tigers to a chilly a 16-percent shooting from the field. Six different Lady Cats would score in double-digits on the day. Georgia Northwestern added strong work on the boards to run away with the win as they out-rebounded Southern Crescent, 67-39.

“Southern Crescent brought a lot of class to the court and we simply just tried to play our game,” said Georgia Northwestern Women’s Head Basketball Coach Jim Williams. “We have one huge game tomorrow now. Middle Georgia Tech has taken us to the wire both times we played them this year. And now, we have to face them on their home court in the regional final.”

Georgia Northwestern (14-10, 6-1) will take on Middle Georgia Tech in the NJCAA Region XVII Title Game Sunday at 2 p.m. in Warner-Robins, Georgia. The Lady Titans surprised the tournament’s number two seed West Georgia Tech by topping the Lady Golden Knights in the semi-finals Saturday, 62-59. Georgia Northwestern narrowly swept the season series with Middle Georgia Tech with a pair of two-point wins in the past six weeks.

Middle Georgia Tech sports the NJCAA Region XVII two-time Player of the Year in Ashley West. The Lady Titan sophomore leads the region with 15 points per outing in the 2012-13 campaign. The 5-foot-8 forward from Perry, Georgia led all scorers with 21 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists in the Middle Georgia Tech semi-final win Saturday.

However, West and Lady Cat Sierra Smith will both be recovering from injuries when Sunday’s final tips-off. West went down late in their semi-final game against West Georgia Tech early Saturday with a leg injury. Smith suffered a right ankle sprain Thursday in the team’s final practice before leaving for the regional event. The region’s leading three-point shooter saw limited time in the semi-finals scoring six points in her 17 minutes of action.

The NJCAA Region XVII Women’s Champion will play at the winner of NJCAA Region XX Women’s Champion in the NJCAA Round of 16 on March 2.

The Lady Cats are a member of NJCAA Region XVII, the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association, and a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia. For more information on Georgia Northwestern Athletics, contact the Georgia Northwestern Office of Sports Information at 706.764.3813 or e-mail to dfoley@gntc.edu.

Georgia Northwestern (81) – Jones 4, Emily Cole 12, Alyssa Nichelson 11, Smith 6, Odessa Person 13, Kiarra Parks 11, Flaherty, Mariah Price 12, Terika Mostella 12.

Southern Crescent (25) – Higgins 4, Miller 9, Sweat, Anderson 8, Jones 2, Garius 2, Egure, Morgan.

Halftime Score: 46-12, Georgia Northwestern.