SALISBURY, N.C.-- The Lenoir-Rhyne Women's Basketball Team saw its 2023-24 season come to a close in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the hands of Georgia Southwestern on Friday night. In a game that was played within one possession for the final 21:50, the Bears fell just short. Despite the loss, the program posted back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since 2008-09 and 2009-10. 

GAME INFORMATION:
Final:  Georgia Southwestern 62, Lenoir-Rhyne 59 (OT)
Records:  Georgia Southwestern State (27-3) , Lenoir-Rhyne (22-9)
Location: Goodman Arena | Salisbury, N.C.

STATS AND INFO:

• First ever meeting between these programs
• Bears are 1-6 all-time in the NCAA Tournament 
• Second straight year in the tournament for the Bears
• Also the second straight season that Catawba has hosted the Southeast Regional. 

FIRST HALF:

• Maleia Hill's 3-pointer with 24 seconds left gave the Bears a 16-14 lead after the first quarter. 
• The back-and-forth first quarter saw neither team lead by more than three. LR shot 7-of-15 in the first 10 minutes while the Hurricanes were 6-of-14.
• Blaikley Crooks hit back-to-back jumpers to start the second quarter, with the second being beyond the arc, to make it 21-14 LR and forcing a GSW timeout.
• A bucket by Mikeba Jones put LR up 27-16 with 6:49 to play in the first half before the Hurricanes battled back. 
• A trio of 3-point buckets pulled GSW within 31-27 before the half would end on a put back by Kayla Grant to make it 31-29 at the half.
• Jones finished the first half with 14 points for the Bears and five boards while Crooks had seven. Kori Tomlin led GSW with 11.

SECOND HALF:

• Much like the first quarter, the third was played within one possession for all but 15 seconds when LR led by four. 
• Georgia Southwestern would get a breakaway basket to close out the scoring in the third quarter to put them up 44-43 heading into the fourth.
• A Tilda Linstrom triple capped a 6-0 run to put the Bears up 51-48 but GSW answered with a three of their own to even it with 4:50 to play.
• With the game tied at 54, Harman hit a runner with 1:22 to play to put the Bears on top.
• The Hurricanes answered with a pair of free throws with 43.1 to go. 
• Each team would miss on their final possession as it headed to overtime.
• Georgia Southwestern hit a one of two from the free throw line to go up 61-58 with 25 seconds left. GSW went just 2-of-6 in the final two minutes from the line.
• LR was fouled with five seconds left and also went one of two to pull within 61-59. The Hurricanes answered by going 50 percent at the line to take a 62-59 advantage.
• The Bears final shot hit off the rim as the Hurricanes pulled off the win.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• With her bucket at the 5:16 mark of the third quarter, Harman passed Cameron Sealey for 7th place on the all-time scoring list.
• Jones finished with 19 points, one shy of tying the program record for most points in an NCAA Tournament game.
• This is the second straight year that LR's season came to a close at the hands of a Peach Belt Conference team in the first round of the tournament.
• Each of the Bears last two losses this year have come by three points.

UP NEXT:  LR will turn its attention to the 2024-25 season.