LSUS Women’s Basketball Falls to Campbellsville, 66-59, in NAIA Second Round

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – The LSU Shreveport women's basketball team saw its historic season come to a close on Saturday afternoon, falling to No. 4 seed Campbellsville University, 66-59, in the NAIA Women's Basketball Tournament Second Round at Powell Athletic Center.

The Pilots close the season with a 28-5 overall record after advancing to the second round of the national tournament.

LSUS was led by Paula Gonzalez Herrero, who finished with 16 points, six rebounds, and two steals. Ally Fleenor followed with 12 points, three rebounds, three steals, and two assists, while Selma Markisic added 11 points, seven rebounds, three steals, and two assists. Toni Coleman also reached double figures with 10 points and four steals.

Campbellsville was paced by Hallie Allen, who scored 19 points and added five assists. Tyra Flowers contributed 14 points, eight rebounds, and three steals, while Lainey Johnson finished with 12 points and three rebounds.

LSUS started strong in the opening quarter, forcing several early turnovers and turning defense into offense. Gonzalez Herrero knocked down a pair of three-pointers during a key stretch, while Toni Coleman and Sami Slusarek added layups to help the Pilots build a 21-14 lead late in the period. Campbellsville responded with a late push, capped by a three-pointer from Allen, trimming the LSUS lead to 21-20 at the end of the first quarter.

The teams battled throughout the second quarter with several lead changes. Fleenor and Markisic helped the Pilots regain the lead midway through the frame, but Campbellsville closed the half strong. A jumper from Johnson with two seconds remaining sent the Tigers into halftime with a 38-32 advantage.

Campbellsville extended its lead in the third quarter, using a 10-2 run to build its largest lead of the game at 48-34 with just over five minutes remaining in the period. The Pilots answered with back-to-back three-pointers from Markisic and Coleman to cut the deficit to eight, but the Tigers carried a 52-42 lead into the final quarter.

LSUS continued to battle in the fourth quarter, trimming the deficit to five after a three-pointer by Markisic with 2:48 remaining. However, Campbellsville controlled the glass down the stretch and converted at the free-throw line to hold off the Pilots' comeback attempt.

Campbellsville finished the game shooting 43.1 percent from the field and went 13-of-18 at the free-throw line. The Tigers also held a slight rebounding edge (27-24) and scored 12 second-chance points. LSUS shot 42.4 percent from the floor and held a 34-20 advantage in points in the paint.

Despite the loss, the Pilots capped off one of the most successful seasons in program history. LSUS finished with a 28-5 overall record, captured the Red River Athletic Conference regular season championship, and advanced to the second round of the NAIA Women's Basketball National Tournament for just the second time in program history, highlighting another milestone year for the program.

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