LEWISTON, Idaho -- The Master's women's basketball team's season came to an end in the opening round of the NAIA Basketball Championship tournament, losing to the Jamestown Jimmies 59-53 Friday in Lewsiton, Idaho.
The Lady Mustangs (25-7) only hit 21 of 67 shots (31%) and 4 of 19 from 3-point range. And despite a 51-39 advantage in rebounding, including 14 offensive boards, TMU only scored 13 second-chance points.
"It just wasn't our night," said TMU Head Coach Lisa Zamroz. "We played tense for too long and we had moments where we thought it could come together. But everybody struggled from the field and in the tournament you've got to hit shots."
TMU fell behind from the very start. The Jimmies scored the first points and opened up a 9-point lead in the first 4:23 of the game. The Lady Mustangs were able to get within three before Jamestown pulled away to take a 34-27 lead into the locker room.
The second half started just like the first, with the Jimmies getting up to a 13-point lead before The Master's was able to get their first points 4:09 into the third quarter.
But TMU would not roll over, going on an 8-2 run to open the final quarter and get within three at 49-46. But the Jimmies got back on the offensive to closeout the 6-point win.
"We played much better defense in the second half but we just couldn't get a shot to fall," Zamroz said. "That was the end of the game."
Lexi Hernandez led the team with 13 points, with Maddie Cooke getting 12 and pulling down 12 rebounds.
Kelly Lotz came off the bench to score 10 and also grabbed a career-high nine rebounds.
Belle Hernandez, in her final game in a Lady Mustangs uniform, scored five points and grabbed eight boards.
"Yes, this loss hurts," Belle said after the game. "But looking back on these last two years, it's been such a blessing and a joy to play for this program and to get to play with my sister, and I'll look back on this time with such good memories and thankfulness for everything that happened."
Looking back on the season, Coach Zamroz believes that despite the loss in the opening round, the year was one to remember for all the right reasons.
"It was an unforeseen, amazing season that was an absolute blast," she said. "I am so proud of how we came together as a true team. It was somebody else every night and everybody celebrated everyone else's success, which is unique because we live in a culture that is not that way. But the Lord was so kind to this group to have us compete for Christ. We were striving to compete at our best, at our potential, and let's play for Jesus. Let's play so we can put His name on a pedestal to say, 'We're playing for Him, and we're playing for one another.'Â And I truly believe we did that well. And so for me this was a very successful season."
