ALLENDALE, Mich. – The Lewis University women's basketball team fell, 75-53, to Ferris State in the opening round of the NCAA DII Midwest Regional Friday (March 15). With the loss, the Flyers' season is over, finishing with a record of 23-9 and both the regular season GLVC title and the Conference Tournament Championship.
"While it wasn't the way we wanted (the season) to end, we don't want to take away from the amazing run that we had and how special these young women are," head coach
Keisha Newell said after the game.
LEWIS LEADERS
Points: Cierra McNamee (Moline, Ill.) (16),
Kathryn Schmidt (Hampshire, Ill./Burlington Central) (10)
Rebounds: McNamee (6),
Lily Courier (LaGrange, Ill./Lyons Township) (5)
Assists: Jenna Badali (Oak Lawn, Ill./Mother McAuley) (7)
Steals: Taylor Gugliuzza (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way West) (2), Badali (2), Schmidt (2)
RECORDS
(3) Ferris State 23-5 | (6) Lewis 23-9
SUMMARY
Both teams traded buckets early, with Badali and Gugliuzza making layups for Lewis to make the score 4-4. Ferris State then went on a run, scoring 14 of the next 16 points to take an 18-6 lead.
Grace Hilber (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) knocked down a three-point shot to halt the run, and the Flyers ended the first quarter with a 6-0 push to cut the deficit to 18-12. Schmidt had the first four points of the second quarter for Lewis as it got within four, 20-16.
The Bulldogs then knocked down three triples before the Flyers scored again as Ferris State began to pull away. After a layup by Schmidt got Lewis back within 10, 30-20, the Bulldogs ended the first half on a 13-0 run to make it 43-20 at the break.
Ferris kept charging after halftime, scoring the first eight points of the third quarter. The Flyers pushed back with a 6-0 run featuring four points from McNamee to make it 53-28.
Badali cashed in a smooth reverse layup kicking off another 6-0 push for Lewis to get back to down 55-34. The Bulldogs recovered to finish the third quarter up 60-34 in spite of the Flyers holding FSU to 0/10 from the three-point line in the frame.
Lewis scored four of the first six points in the fourth with buckets from McNamee and Hilber, but could not get within 20 points in the second half. McNamee kept going from inside, scoring 14 of her 16 points in the second half after scoring each of the next three baskets for the Flyers.
Courier showed the fight that Lewis never surrendered with an offensive rebound leading to a traditional three-point play in the final minute but Ferris State finished off the 75-53 victory.
"They left a legacy," Newell said of this year's senior class. "That's all you can ask for as a coach. The run that we made at the end of the year to win 12 straight games, good leadership (from that group). I'm going to say it time and time again, who they are off the court, they're great people."
Newell added: "I'm proud. I know it's tough for everybody right now but I'm proud of these young women and I'm proud of our season."
UP NEXT
Lewis women's basketball closes its season after winning the program's first GLVC Championship since 2013. The Flyers had four players earn All-GLVC honors, with Hilber named to the first team while Badali, Gugliuzza and Schmidt were all second team honorees. Hilber also earned a second team All-Midwest Region selection from the D2CCA.
