Season ends for BC women’s basketball at NWAC Tourney

A successful season that saw the BC women’s basketball team win 23 games and post a second-place finish in the North Region came to an end Friday with a 55-46 loss to Centralia in the consolation semifinals of the NWAC tournament.

The Bulldogs (23-7) led 23-21 at halftime, but the Trailblazers rallied to take a 38-35 lead entering the final quarter. Three BC turnovers in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter helped Centralia push the lead to 43-35 with 6:65 remaining.

The Bulldogs did not score in the final period until Savannah Reid banked in a 3-pointer with 6:04 left to cut the lead to 43-38. Sophomore guard Mikayla Jones turned a steal into a breakaway layup to keep BC within two possessions at 47-42 with 2:42 left.

A Centralia turnover on the ensuing possession gave the Bulldogs the opportunity to further cut the lead, but BC could not get a shot off in time and was called for a shot-clock violation.

The Bulldogs were forced to foul over the final 1:38 and Centralia put the game away with its final eight points from the free-throw line.

Bellevue made just 16 of 65 shots for 25 percent, including 2-of-19 from three-point range. Jones led the Bulldogs with 19 points, but was just 5-of-22 from the field, including 1-of-8 from beyond the arc. She was 8-of-8 from the free-throw line. Shelby Kassuba added 8 points and a team-high 10 rebounds.

Monty Cooper had 19 points and Susan Kenney 17 for Centralia (24-8), the No. 2 seed in the West Region.

Last Updated March 11, 2016