Women's Basketball's Comeback Effort Comes Up Just Short at Briar Cliff

(Sioux City, IA) – Taking on #9 Briar Cliff in Sioux City on Saturday, the Broncos trailed by as much as 21 in the second half, then rallied to take a two-point lead midway through the fourth, before falling 89-76.

In the first quarter, junior Bailey Kissinger scored to open the game, but Briar Cliff scored the next five and seven of the next nine points. Trailing 10-7, senior Mariyah Avila scored and after a Charger turnover, sophomore McKenna Yates put them up two at 12-10 with 4:54 left in the quarter. Hastings would score two field goals the rest of the quarter, both by sophomore Josilyn Miller, as Briar Cliff took a 19-17 lead after one.

Yates and senior Macy Bryant got baskets to start the second quarter, then after a 7-2 Charger run, Miller tied things up at 25 with 6:14 to go. Briar Cliff grabbed the momentum by scoring the next nine points in less than two minutes. Bryant put a stop to the run with a two and sophomore Jentri Marx later got Hastings within five with 3:05 left. Briar Cliff ended the first half with a three, followed by a defensive stop and another made three-pointer to go up 42-31 at the half.

In the first half, Briar Cliff shot 45 percent from the field and held Hastings to 35 percent. From three, the Chargers were 6-16 and Hastings was 1-15. Briar Cliff also held a 25-16 advantage on the glass, but Hastings was able to keep it close by forcing 14 turnovers. Miller and Bryant each had six points in the opening half.

The first four-and-a-half minutes of the second half were all Briar Cliff, as they built a 21-point lead with a 16-6 run to go up 58-37. Hastings started chipping away at the lead beginning with a two from sophomore Adyson Mlnarik, as they closed the third on a 17-9 run. A three-pointer from Mlnarik and a two by Kissinger made it 58-44 with 2:21 left in the third. With Briar Cliff leading 63-47, Kissinger scored off of her own offensive rebound and drew the foul. Kissinger scored the next two Hastings baskets as well, but Briar Cliff hit a three to close the third to make it 67-54.

Down 69-55 a minute into the fourth, sophomore Ann Bose scored inside and Avila went on a 5-0 solo run to get within seven. Two more from Kissinger and a free throw by Miller made it a 69-65 deficit, then back-to-back threes by Kissinger and Avila coming off of steals put Hastings ahead 71-69 with 5:02 remaining, capping an extended 34-11 run going back to the third quarter.

Briar Cliff closed the game strong however, ending the game on a 20-6 over the final five minutes. After Hastings took the lead, the Chargers hit a three after an offensive rebound and hit again from deep on their next possession to go back up four. They made two free throws on their next trip and then after a couple of missed Bronco threes, they went up nine on their third three-pointer of the 11-0 run with 2:56 left. Avila got Hastings within eight with 2:16 left, but Briar Cliff went on to win, 89-76.

The Chargers shot 45 percent for the game to Hastings' 42 percent. Briar Cliff made 12 three-pointers and while Hastings forced 22 turnovers, the Chargers outrebounded the Broncos, 46-29. Kissinger led the Broncos with 21 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and four steals. Avila had 17 points and Miller came off the bench to score 10 points.

Up next, Hastings will play at College of Saint Mary on Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 6pm.