CLEVELAND, Tenn. — The Walters State Lady Senators and Southwest Tennessee Saluqis showed the merits of their high national rankings Sunday.

The two community college basketball teams with a combined record of 55-1 finished off state/region championships with impressive victories at Cleveland State Community College.

After the third-ranked Lady Senators improved to 30-0 with an 88-67 defeat of Volunteer State (27-4), No. 4 Southwest Tennessee went to 25-1 by downing Cleveland State 93-64. That was the second men’s final in three years for the Cougars, both times getting there as the third seed from the Eastern Division.

They had rallied from 15 points behind to beat Eastern winner Motlow in a Saturday semifinal, but there was no catching the Memphis team after it jumped quickly ahead Sunday. Guard Myron Strong scored six of the Saluqis’ eight points as they took an 8-2 lead that kept surging to 13-4 and 19-6.

The Cougars (20-9) kept hustling and kept the deficit at 46-32 at halftime, but Strong led a 12-0 Saluqis spurt starting the second half.

“That was the game,” Cleveland State coach Lee Cigliano said. “They’re the best team in the region and they’ll be a great representative.”

The Saluqis were bigger than his players and at least as quick, and they seemed as interested in defense as offense. They blocked eight shots and made 12 steals in forcing 20 turnovers.

“Those are some athletes right there, and their press — they get after it,” said Chattanooga’s Chauncey Thompson, who led the Cougars with 26 points. “Playing a team like that, you can’t dig yourself too deep of a hole.”

He made the all-tournament team along with fellow TCCAA All-Eastern Division player Ryan Westbrooks, who was the region’s leading scorer for the season and had 15 points Sunday. Willie Smith had 18 points and nine rebounds for the Cougars, who got nine rebounds also from Clarence Threat but were outglassed 46-31 as a team.

Jeremy Rodgers led the Saluqis scoring off the bench in Saturday’s win over Chattanooga State and again Sunday with 27 points, and he was the tournament MVP. Strong scored 18 points and DeAngelo Riley had 14 points and 10 rebounds, while the Saluqis’ fourth all-tourney player, Jeremy Williams, had 10 points and eight rebounds.

Their only loss was 70-68 at Kennedy-King of Chicago in the second game of the year, after Southwest led by 17 points. In a rematch in Memphis, the Saluqis won by nearly 30.

“We’ve had some good teams, but this one ranks right up there,” said 30th-year coach Verties Sails Jr., headed to his 10th national tournament in Hutchinson, Kan. “We can play slow or fast, inside or out, and this is a tremendous defensive team.”

Dave Kragel is finishing his 32nd season at Walters State, and this is his eighth region champion and fourth national participant (Salina, Kan.) in five years.

“This could be the very best team I’ve ever had,” he said. “We’ll go out there and see what happens, but this is a great group of kids and they work really hard.”

LaKrystle Goss was voted tourney MVP after getting 27 points and seven steals Sunday, when all-tourney teammates Rhon ’Neisha Taylor and Melanie Hemphill had 23 and 12 points. Hemphill is a freshman from Howard who joined Goss and Taylor on the all-division team. Brainerd graduate Jessica Jones contributed to Sunday’s win with four points.

Vee Young and Shaniqua Gray scored 21 and 17 points for Vol State, which trailed 41-28 at halftime after a late 13-2 run by Walters.

SOUTHWEST TENN. 93, CLEVELAND STATE 64

Cleveland State (20-9)

Bridges, Westbrooks 3, Thompson 26, Threat 2, Smith 18, Pratt, McCollum 3, Hallingquest.

Southwest Tennessee (25-1)

Williams 10, Owens 8, Riley 14, Strong 18, Watson 2, Brown 7, Rodgers 27, Jackson 5, McLin 2, Simmons, Justice.

Halftime: Southwest Tennessee, 46-32.