HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. -- Senior Alice Chen (+7) tied for 15th to lead the ninth-ranked Furman women's golf team to a sixth-place finish Sunday at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate at the par 71, 6,160 yard Long Cove Club's Pete Dye Course in Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Chen posted a 77 on Sunday, finishing the tournament 10 strokes back of individual medalist Maria Fassi (-3) of Arkansas, who is ranked fifth nationally.  Fassi carded a three-round total of 70-71-69=210 for the title.

Junior Haylee Harford (+10) and senior Reona Hirai (+11) each shot a 73 to lead the Paladins on Sunday.  Harford birdied No. 8 and No. 13 to tie for 25th, while Hirai paced Furman with three birdies in the final round to tie for 28th.  Sophomore Natalie Srinivasan (+13) scored a 79 Sunday to tie for 40th, and senior Jacqueline Bendrick (+17) tied for 62nd after recording a 79 with a birdie on No. 2 in the final round.  

Six of the nation's top 10 teams competed at the Darius Rucker this weekend.  Second-ranked Alabama (+14)  won the tournament by eight strokes over No. 3 Arkansas (+22).  No. 28 Wake Forest (+26) placed third, followed by fifth-ranked Duke (+27), which finished one stroke back in fourth.  Thirteenth-ranked Northwestern (+23) took fifth place, and the Paladins (+29) placed sixth.  Furman finished ahead of eighth-ranked South Carolina (+47), which finished ninth, and No. 6 Arizona State (+53), the defending NCAA Champion, which placed 14th.

Furman will compete at the Sun Trust Gator Women's Invitational in Gainesville, Fla., March 10-11.

Julie Paré, Furman Sports Information

6 Furman 292 297 302 891 +39

T15 Alice Chen 69 74 77 220 +7

T25 Haylee Harford 76 74 73 223 +10

T28 Reona Hirai 76 75 73 224 +11

T40 Natalie Srinivasan 73 74 79 226 +13

T62 Jacqueline Bendrick 74 77 79 230 +17