A loss at the national championship is always painful, but this one stung the most for the Cyclones.
Coming into the NJCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship, the Cyclones had a 32-1 overall record in addition to a conference and region championship. Their lone loss came over three months ago. They knew they could go far at the tournament in Harrison, Arkansas, but were edged out today by a talented and tough Lackawanna College (25-7) from Pennsylvania.
Nerves played a part in this game as the Cyclones struggled to find their usual flow in the first few quarters. However, they were still able to lead 14-10 after the first and 39-35 at halftime. What hurt Moraine Valley, however, were fouls and free throws. The Falcons were 18-for-27 from the line while the Cyclones were 17-for-30. Instead of the typical surge the Cyclones create in the third quarter, they were in the rare position of being down 61-55. That deficit grew in the final quarter.
"We needed to do the little things, and when we didn't it hurt us in this game. We were counting on a third quarter run like we usually do, but we lost it by 10. [Cyclones scored 16]," said Head Coach Delwyn Jones. "Lackawanna was a better team than we gave them credit for. And the moment [being at nationals] hit us. We didn't do the things we have all year."
They Cyclones were down by 13 with eight minutes to go. Then they found their spark. Moraine Valley battled back thanks to press play and came within one (91-90) on a three from Hennessey Handy (13 points, eight rebounds). Another stolen ball and an Elizabeth Coffey (eight points, five rebounds) layup gave the Cyclones a 92-91 lead with 4.9 seconds to go. Trying to avoid fouling, the Cyclones pressed the Falcons, who squeezed in a layup for the 93-92 win on the buzzer.
"It hurt a lot because it felt good to make it this far," Handy said. "I think we were nervous and it got us down early, which is unusual. We started off slow like we usually do, but we couldn't hit shots. At the end we played with more heart, and it felt good. We had a spark."
Also making big contributions in the game were Julia Ruzevich (18 points, 11 rebounds, five steals), Kate Ruzevich (12 points, six assists), Destiny Thames (11 points) and Erin Greenfield.
The Cyclones now play in the consolation round starting tomorrow at 1 p.m. against Niagara County Community College (31-1) that saw their first loss of the season at nationals. Although they can't bring home a national championship, the Cyclones aren't done yet.
"It sucks we lost, but we have to keep playing. We can still place seventh at nationals. It's still a big accomplishment," Handy said. "We've still made people at Moraine proud. And these [teammates] are my sisters. I wouldn't trade them for the world."
"I'm very proud of these young ladies. We were down by 13 with eight minutes to go and we fought hard. Fighting back is always tough. Lackawanna played a great game. This was the best chance for us to win a national championship, which is why this loss hurts so much," Jones said. "I still think we're one of the better teams in the region. Just because we lost by one or didn't do what we needed to doesn't mean anything. The season's not over. I believe in who we are and our character. I'm still so proud."