Alice Lloyd Lady Eagles Finish Fourth in NCCAA National Tournament  

Winona Lake, IN:  The #4 seeded Alice Lloyd College Lady Eagles concluded their fine season by facing the #3 seeded Grace College Lady Lancers in the third-place game of the NCCAA DI National Tournament on Saturday, March 18^th.  The Lancers, who were the host school for the tournament, jumped out quickly, then held on for the 78-64 decision.

In the opening segment, ALC was ice-cold as they only sank 4-18 shots for 22%. At the same time, sparked by the shooting of guard Maddie Ryman, the Lancers shot nearly 67%. This would enable the hosts to race out to a 23-10 lead after ten minutes of play.

In the second quarter, the lead would balloon to sixteen (34-18), but the visitors would get some big buckets from freshman guard Shelby Stewart and senior guard Hannah Kash as they fought to stay close. By intermission, the duo would split 20 points between them overall, but Ryman had 18 for Grace to lift her club to a 42-29 lead heading into the locker room. Both squads would sink seven shots in the stanza, but GC was shooting 62.5% at the break compared to the Lady Eagles' 29.7%.

In the third period, the Caney Creek club would try to inch closer, and Kash helped her squad remain in striking distance with 8 quick points. Unfortunately, she would be whistled for her fourth foul with around 4:00 remaining and go to the bench. Grace would quickly sink a couple of baskets to gain some separation before sophomore guard Katie Jo Moore responded with a few key shots of her own. Eventually, the Lady Eagles would take the segment 18-17, but still trailed 59-47 after thirty challenging minutes of action,

In the final stanza, the plucky Pippa Passes crew refused to go away quietly. When Moore swished a long-range missile at 8:52, the deficit was reduced to single digits for the first time since the 5:45 mark of the first quarter (61-52). The ALC fans in attendance sensed a comeback was possible.

However, to their credit, the Lancers showed they were a formidable team, as they refused to crack. Led by Ryman, they would not squander their advantage, as they held on for the win.

For Alice Lloyd (20-11), who showed a lot of intestinal fortitude with their fine season, three players would hit double figures. Kash led the club with 22 points (4-8 3ptFGs) and 3 assists. Stewart shot well and added 15 points and 2 steals, while Moore added 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals. Senior center Bailee Brainard finished her career with a team-high 9 rebounds and 2 blocks, while junior Madison Thompson added 7 boards, while May added 4 rebounds and 3 steals to the cause.

The Eagles shot 34.3% (24-70) from the field and 34.6% (9-26) from long range, and 63.6% (7-11) from the foul line, and added 31 rebounds, 11 assists, and 10 steals.

Grace (23-11) was paced by Ryman, with 30 points. Her squad finished shooting 48.2% (27-56) from the field and 50% (9-18) from deep. They were deadly, shooting 93.8% (15-16) from the foul line. They also added 45 rebounds, 20 assists, and 8 steals.

In addition, the All-Tournament Team was also announced at the conclusion of the event. For ALC, Kash was named to the five-player squad. For the three games played, she averaged 21.6 points, 5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per outing.