MVNU (24-9) got off to a great start in the game as the Lady Cougars scored the first 10 points of the game while going 4-for-5 from the field with senior guard Rachel Fiely (left) assisting on each basket as sophomore post Amanda Himes scored six of the points.

However, after the hot start, MVNU went just 7-for-27 from the field the rest of the half. Meanwhile, the Lady Warriors (15-13), who committed six turnovers before they ever made a shot, got red-hot from the field as they finished the half shooting 53.1 percent (17-for-32) and used a 40-19 run to take a 40-29 lead at the break.

Himes paced the Lady Cougars with 10 points and six rebounds in the first half, while freshman forward Alexis Harkins added seven points. Fiely also dished out seven assists to go with three steals. MVNU shot just 34.4 percent from the field (11-for-32), 23.1 percent from three-point range (3-for-13), and 80.0 percent from the free throw line (4-for-5).

Victoria Sweet led Nyack with 10 points and eight rebounds in the first half, while Jasmine Minter added nine points, six rebounds, and four assists. Khamaria Tellis also chipped in with eight points off the bench. The Lady Warriors shot 44.4 percent from three-point range (4-for-9) and 66.7 percent from the free throw line (2-for-3).

After Nyack scored the first basket of the second half to increase its lead to 42-29 less than a minute into the final period, the Lady Cougars rattled off 14 straight points to go on top 43-42 on a three-pointer by Fiely at the 15:38 mark.

MVNU built its lead up to 49-44 with 12:49 to play, but the Lady Warriors answered with a 12-1 run to go back in front 56-50 with 9:02 left in the game. Minter led the way with five points, while Tellis scored four points and Kelsy McIntosh hit a three-pointer.

Once again, the Lady Cougars rallied as MVNU used a 15-5 surge to take a 65-61 lead with under three minutes remaining and the ball. Fiely hit a pair of treys, Harkins added five points, and Himes tallied four points to fuel the comeback.

However, the Lady Cougars committed two turnovers and did not score over the next two and a half minutes. Meanwhile, McIntosh hit another three-pointer and Minter and Shelly Yount both went 2-for-2 at the free throw line as Nyack led 68-65 with 39.6 seconds to go.

A layup by Himes with 27.8 seconds remaining closed the gap to 68-67. After a missed free throw by McIntosh on the front end of a one-and-one, Fiely scored on a driving layup with 6.5 seconds to give MVNU a 69-68 lead.

The Lady Warriors inbounded the ball to Minter, who raced up court and passed off to McIntosh in the corner with the clock winding down. McIntosh’s three-pointer swished as the buzzer sounded sending Nyack to the NCCAA National Tournament with a 71-69 win as the Lady Cougars suffered their second straight last-second playoff loss of the week.

“I am extremely disappointed for our kids with this loss,” said MVNU coach Steve Gregory. “They played hard and were deserving of a win. It is tough to lose a championship game on a last-second shot. Nyack earned the win tonight. I am so proud of our kids and the effort and energy that they have put into having an amazing season. They did not let me down tonight and have shown great character along with being great ambassadors for our university.”

“We were inconsistent in the first half and staked Nyack to a nice lead at the break,” said Gregory. “We played much better in the second half and finally got some shots to fall. Rachel and Amanda keyed our run and got help from Alexis. Kellie (Jokela) was under the weather and played her guts out tonight. She was outstanding defensively. Rachel was great in transition, feeding the post, and knocking down big shots in the second half including the basket with 6.5 seconds left.”

Himes (right) finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Lady Cougars, while Harkins added 19 points and seven rebounds. Fiely also posted a double-double with 13 points, 11 assists, and four steals, and sophomore guard Lauren Johnson tallied seven points and four assists. MVNU shot 39.3 percent from the field (24-for-61), 38.1 percent from three-point range (8-for-21), and 76.5 percent from the free throw line (13-for-17).

Minter led five players in double figures for Nyack with 20 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, while McIntosh went 5-for-10 from three-point range for 15 points. Tellis tossed in 12 points off the bench, and Yount contributed 11 points. Sweet also posted a double-double with 10 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists. The Lady Warriors shot 44.3 percent from the field (27-for-61), 47.1 percent from three-point range (8-for-17), and 81.8 percent from the free throw line (9-for-11).

Despite the loss, the Lady Cougars have received an at-large berth into the eight-team NCCAA National Tournament to be held at Grace (Ind.) College on March 12-14. MVNU will be the No. 2 seed in the tournament and will take on No. 7 seed Oakland City (Ind.) University in the first round on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. The tournament is played out to all eight places, so the Lady Cougars are guaranteed to play three games regardless of the outcome. Ironically, MVNU’s last appearance in the NCCAA National Tournament came during the 2000-2001 season as the result of an at-large berth after losing on a three-pointer at the buzzer to Nyack. That year, the Lady Cougars claimed the NCCAA national title as the No. 8 seed.

“God is smiling down on us right now as we received word that we will receive an at-large bid into the NCCAA National Tournament,” said Gregory. “Our team is grateful for the opportunity to play for another national championship.”