The Journey Comes to an End
The Bryant & Stratton College women’s basketball season came to an end today after a 64-37 loss to the Macomb Community College Monarchs (twelve seed) in the final...
WAUWATOSA, WI (March 23, 2018) – The Bryant & Stratton College women's basketball season came to an end today after a 64-37 loss to the Macomb Community College Monarchs (twelve seed) in the consolation bracket of the NJCAA Division II National Tournament. This was the first season the Bobcats (ten seed) were eligible to compete in postseason play.
Starting the game the Bobcats came out sluggish as they fell behind 5-2 with just over five minutes remaining the first quarter. Shortly after the Bobcats went on a 4-0 run after two made free-throws by freshman Maddy McCoy (Champaign, IL) and a three-pointer by sophomore Jazlyn Drake (Milwaukee, WI) which put them up 7-5. The Monarchs retaliated going on a 10-2 run to end the first which put them up 15-9 to start the second quarter.
Both teams struggled shooting through the first part of the second quarter as the Bobcats trailed 20-15 with five minutes remaining in the half until sophomore guard Kyla Pitts (Milwaukee, WI) knocked down a contested three-pointer to bring the Bobcats within two.
Region IV Player of the Year, Kiara Donaldson (Milwaukee, WI) followed Pitt's three with a breakaway layup to tie the game at 20-20.
"Although we kept the score close I could tell we were tired just by the way we were moving on the court," Bobcats head coach Jeff Lorenz said.
In the remaining 4 minutes of the half, the Monarchs went on a 10-3 run to extend the lead and make it a 30-23 game.
The third quarter was a total domination by the Monarchs as the Bobcats saw the deficit increase to twenty points midway through the third quarter.
"We just couldn't buy a basket," Lorenz said. "We struggled getting back on defense as well which allowed them to get easy transition baskets."
Down 56-33 to start the fourth the Bobcats could not find a way to make a comeback as they didn't find their first basket of the quarter until a layup from Drake at the 3:40 mark.
"I just wasn't our day but I am proud of the girls on tremendous season," Lorenz said. "This was a great experience for us and we will look to come back again next year to make some serious noise."
The Bobcats shot 23 percent from the floor and just 64 percent from the free throw line.
Donaldson led the way for the Bobcats with 10 points followed by Drake with seven points and three steals.
Ashley Williams (Aurora, IL) and Pitts tacked on six points each. Gabrielle Norwood (Milwaukee, WI) finished with four points and Ashley Quezaire (Milwaukee, WI) contributed two points.
Finishing the year at 25-11 overall and 17-0 in region play, the Bobcats will celebrate a remarkable season as the first Bryant & Stratton College-Wisconsin program to earn a spot in the national tournament.
With six sophomores graduating this year, Coach Lorenz and his staff will be bringing in top talent to replace their shoes and make a run at the tournament again next year.
