WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace's women's basketball team dropped the NCCAA Midwest regional championship 67-59 to Roberts Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon.
The Lady Lancers had already earned a spot in the NCCAA national tournament which Grace College will host next week. Grace will play on wednesday night for their first game of the national tournament.
Complete NCCAA field and bracket will be announced over the weekend.
Karlee Feldman had a dominant performance, posting a season high 28 points to go along with 14 rebounds.
The Redhawks jumped out to an early lead, as they frustrated the Lady Lancers offense. Grace mustered just four points through the first eight minutes, as they fell behind 13-4.
A pair of Feldman layups and Karissa Lukasiewicz 3-point shot sent the game to the quarter break with Grace trailing 18-12.
Feldman dominated the second quarter, scoring the Lady Lancers' first 13-points of the quarter to pull Grace within one of the Redhawks.
Roberts Wesleyan extended their lead back to five but Grace responded to grab their first lead of the game.
Maddie Ryman scored the final four points of the half as the Lady Lancers took a 37-36 lead into the intermission.
Grace shot 29 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes compared to Robert Wesleyan's 35 percent.
Feldman led all players with 24 first half points.
Kenzie McMahon and Ryman converted to start the second half, which pushed Grace's lead to six.
The Redhawks responded with a pair of free-throws, but Ryman hit a trifecta from well beyond the arc that extended the Lady Lancers advantage to seven, their largest of the afternoon.
Roberts Wesleyan battled back to within one, but Ryman again hit from 3-point range to send the game into the final frame with Grace leading 52-48.
The Redhawks scored the first nine points of the fourth to recapture a lead they would not relinquish.
A 3-point basket from Kaylee Patton got Grace within one possession with four minutes left, but they could not get any closer as Roberts Wesleyan held on for the 67-59 win.
"This was a very disappointing loss," said Grace head coach Dan Davis. "We had a four-point lead going into the fourth and we got away from what worked for us throughout the game. Credit to Roberts Wesleyan, they played with an urgency to continue their season and we didn't match their intensity. We missed five uncontested layups and made some costly turnovers. We have a team that our coaching staff believes can win the NCCAA tournament, but they have to want it as bad as we do, and play like there is no tomorrow. Hopefully this was a wakeup call."
Grace finished 36 percent from the floor and 22 percent from the 3-point land.
