Miles Lady Bears Complete Historic Three-Peat with SIAC Tournament Victory

MORROW, Ga. — The dynasty continues for the Miles College Lady Bears women’s basketball.

Miles held off Lane College Dragons women’s basketball 59–52 to capture the 2025 SIAC Women’s Basketball Tournament championship, securing the program’s third straight conference title and cementing a historic run for the Lady Bears.

With the victory, Miles (25–5) becomes the first program since Fort Valley State Wildcats women’s basketball from 2000–03 to win three consecutive championships in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

The championship game was anything but easy.

Miles jumped out to an early 12-point lead in the first quarter, but Lane battled back and erased the deficit, sending the game into halftime tied at 24.

Lane (22–6) briefly grabbed momentum early in the third quarter after a basket by Lauren Lain gave the Dragons the lead. But Miles responded quickly.

Samarian Franklin buried a three-pointer with 7:17 left in the third to put the Lady Bears back on top, sparking a 9–0 run that shifted the game. Franklin added two free throws during the stretch before finding Mya Millner for a three-point play that pushed the Miles advantage to 33–26.

From that point on, the Lady Bears never trailed again.

Lane cut the deficit to five heading into the fourth quarter, but Makayla Rieves took over down the stretch. After a basket by Shannon Niles gave Miles momentum, Rieves followed with key buckets, including back-to-back scores that extended the lead to 54–46 with just over two minutes remaining.

The Dragons made one last push, trimming the margin to four late in the game. But Nayla Wesley delivered the final blow, converting a three-point play with 1:32 remaining to seal the victory and send the Miles bench into celebration.

Franklin finished with 12 points and four assists and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Rieves added a dominant performance with 11 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks, while Wesley chipped in nine points and seven rebounds.

With the win, Miles advances to its third straight appearance in the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Tournament South Region, where the Lady Bears will learn their next opponent when the bracket is announced Sunday night.

For Miles, the championship wasn’t just another win — it was the continuation of a historic run that now stands among the conference’s best.