MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The upset was so close.

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, entering the Southern States Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Tournament as a 10th seed, nearly made it two upsets in as many days. Faulkner University, the No. 2 seed in the bracket won by a 76-62 score, one much closer than the final margin.

When Shakiria Chaney scored in the paint with 9:09 left, the Fillies trailed by only 62-59. Though they had only briefly led - 24-21 in the 2nd quarter - they had hung around all game. 

Alas, it was not to be.

Exhaustion from two tight games in as many days set in. Four minutes after they trailed by three points, they were down 15, courtesy of a 12-0 run by Faulkner. In the final nine-minute stretch, they hit only one more basket, a Dailey Jefferson three-pointer at 4:08.

Chaney, named First Team All-Conference the night before, finished her collegiate career at 27 points and 13 rebounds. Reese Riddle scored 17.

Though the two were the top scorers for the Fillies, team statistics showed a contest beyond any ABAC had played this season.

The Fillies came into the Faulkner game having made 161 of 654 three-point attempts, a mere 24%, and a mere six successful shots per 40 minutes.

Thursday, ABAC made 13 of 40 from beyond the arc. Chaney and Riddle buried five treys each. Jefferson hit two and Zamiyah Hosley and Camiya Starks each had one.

The start of Thursday's game felt like a matchup between 10 and 2 seeds. The Fillies struggled and Faulkner jumped out to a 17-4 lead midway through the quarter.

Then things changed. 

Hosley nailed a long jumper. Chaney delivered a block and, at the other end, banked in a three-pointer from the corner. She was just getting going.

ABAC's next points were a Chaney triple to beat the shot clock, Brianna Wimberly assisting. Faulkner scored, but Dailey Jefferson assisted Riddle from deep. When Chaney scored another three-pointer, this time on a Starks assist, it was suddenly a 21-18 game.

They weren't done. Riddle hit a wide-open three with 23 seconds left to make it 21-21 at the end of the quarter.

The run continued at the start of the 2nd.

Thirty second into the period, Starks buried a trey and ABAC went ahead 24-21.

Faulkner regained the lead, then pushed it to 27-24. Taylor Frazier kept the Fillies going with a pair of free throws and Chaney beat a triple team to score in the paint, but momentum cooled there.

At 2:27, the Eagles opened a 38-28 lead.

Chaney scored her 16th point of the first half with 31 ticks remaining, keeping ABAC in the contest at the break, 38-31. Chaney, who hit only 19% of her three-point attempts prior to this game, was 4-of-7 in the 1st half from that distance.

Riddley connected from the top of the key to start the 2nd half. Chaney had a steal, converting the fast break to make it 39-36. 

Faulkner built a 10-point lead at 50-40, but here came ABAC again. Jefferson made free throws and a triple. Layla Townsend drove the lane for a layup and when Chaney scored on a baseline drive following a Hosley steal, it was 52-49.

Riddle and Chaney had threes to end the period and ABAC was still close at 59-55.