Lady Pioneers Fall in Championship Game

February 27, 2021

By Dustin Semore, Sports Information Director

PARAGOULD, Ark. – The bright lights of hosting the A.I.I. Conference Tournament dimmed in Saturday's championship as the Crowley's Ridge Lady Pioneers were felled by the rebounding prowess of the conference champion College of the Ozarks (Mo.) by a final score of 85-46.

The second-seeded Lady Pioneers (8-9) kept things close in the first quarter, hitting two 3pt FGs while holding the top-seeded Lady Bobcats to a 0-6 mark from deep.

The College of the Ozarks (8-1) began vacuuming up every loose ball, outrebounding Crowley's Ridge 19-8 in the second quarter. The Lady 'Neers went 2-17 from the floor in the quarter to head to intermission down 38-23.

The Lady Bobcats came out of the locker rooms firing on all cylinders, outscoring the Lady Pioneers 47-23 in the final two quarters to clinch the conference title with an 85-46 victory.

CofO ended their night with an astounding 65 total rebounds, nearly doubling up CRC's 37 boards.

Octavia Lowery and Kianna Hardaway led the Lady Pioneer offense, scoring 13 and 10 points, respectively.

UP NEXT

CRC will wait for the NAIA selection show to learn their opponent for the opening round of the 2020 NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship. The first round will be held at one of eight sites on March 12-13 before moving to the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa March 18-23.

The selection show will be held Thursday, March 4 at 6 p.m.