[Women's Basketball] Falcons' Season Ends with KCAC Tournament Setback at (9) Sterling

STERLING, Kan. -- The Friends University Falcons fell 71-60 in a hard-fought KCAC Tournament quarterfinal matchup Thursday night (Feb. 25) with the ninth-ranked Sterling College Warriors in Sterling, Kan. 

"We played a great game at both ends of the floor against a very good team," head coach Dean Jaderston said. "We got great leadership from our seniors Khadijah Miller (SR/Arlington, Texas) and Tiffany Hurd (SR/Gilbert, Ariz. ), and I couldn't be more proud of them and the entire team."

The Warriors seemed to pick up where they left off Saturday, jumping out to a 13-2 advantage early, but the Falcons mounted a 6-0 spurt to force a Sterling timeout. 

Sterling responded with a 7-1 run to close out the first quarter and take a 20-9 lead.

After four-straight free throws extended the Sterling lead to 24-9, the Falcons stormed back on the heels of an 11-0 stretch that featured seven points from Bridget Busbee (SO/Grand Prairie, Texas). 

Again the Warriors had an answer mounting an 11 point lead, but a triple by Gracie Sammons (SO/Aubrey, Texas) at the end of the half made it a 35-27 deficit at the break.

The Falcons made a push early in the third quarter when a basket by Maddie Jessepe (SR/Ada, Okla. ) trimmed the lead to 39-35 at the 6:21 mark.

Hendrixson halted the run with another three, but Kayna Simoneau (JR/Rose Hill, Kan.) responded with a three of her own.

Trailing 50-43 heading into the final quarter, Sammons drilled another three, but the Warriors responded with five-straight points to take a 55-46 lead with 8:21 left in the game.

The Falcons cut the lead to four twice, but the Warriors took control as Kylah Comley scored nine of the Warrior's final 14 points. 

"We knew we were going to play them twice in a week," Jaderston said. "We had a pretty vanilla game plan last Saturday, and except for a really bad start played ok. Tonight we were in attack mode on offense all night, and our defense was the best it has been all season."

Sammons paced the Falcons with 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the perimeter. Busbee added ten points and a pair of steals.

Tiffany Hurd grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds, including six offensive rebounds, and blocked three shots.

Comley had 26 points for the Warriors on 8-of-17 shooting from the field and 8-of-8 from the free-throw line, with eight rebounds and four assists. 

Hendrixson also added 13 points for Sterling, who is now 27-0 and will host fifth-seeded Kansas Wesleyan in the KCAC semifinals Saturday evening (Feb. 27) at 7 pm.

The Falcons held Sterling to 24.0 percent (6-of-25) from the three-point line and forced 13 Warrior turnovers.

"This team played its very best basketball at the end of the season," Jaderston said. "I'm excited to build off these last two games in the future."

The Falcons, under second-year head coach Dean Jaderston, wrap up the season 12-16 overall and 9-14 in the KCAC.