POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. --- The Asbury women's basketball team (20-10, 14-2 CCS) was clipped by Mission University (26-6, 18-4 AMC) in the National Christian College Athletics Association (NCCAA) Semifinals, 71-60. During the game, senior multi-media journalism major
Haleigh Releford swiped her 91st steal on the season to pass 2024 AU women's basketball alum
Trinity Shearer for the most steals in a single-season in program history.
Asbury was led in scoring by sophomore elementary education major
Emily Sizemore's 19 points, five rebounds, and three steals. The London, Ky., native played 32 total minutes on the night and shot 6-7 from the free-throw line.
Asbury was paced in scoring by the Stanford, Ky., native Releford's 15 while also adding 15 rebounds to gather her first double-double of the season. Releford swiped a game-high six steals to reach the single-season record.
Senior psychology major
Camryn Preston added to Sizemore and Releford's totals with 15 of her own. In 33 minutes Preston claimed four rebounds and shot 5-11 from the field. Sizemore, Releford, and Preston combined for 49 of AU's 60 total points.
The Patriots never trailed in the ball game after taking a 8-6 advantage in the 5:06 mark in the first quarter. Mission's lead expanded all the way to 16 with with 2:50 to go in the second quarter. Asbury pulled it all the way back to a 54-51 MU lead with a minute remaining in the third. Mission pulled away from that point with a 5-0 run to take a 59-51 lead to the final frame, where they hung on for a 71-60 win.
Mission was led in scoring by Josie Sullivan's 16 and Heaven Shockley's 15. Both recorded double-double's on the evening as Sullivan pulled in 12 boards and Shockley 14. The two were paced in scoring by Cassidy Hambleton and Brooklyn Luna who combined for 24 points between the two.
The Patriots out-rebounded AU 42-37 for the game. Mission grabbing 17 offensive rebounds and AU 13.
AU finished 21-62 (34%) from the field while Mission shot 29-74 (39%). Asbury hit on two three-pointers on the evening, Mission eight. AU finished at a 11% clip from range and MU at a 30% rate. Mission was just 5-11(46%) from the free-throw line, Asbury finished 16-20 (80%).
Asbury comitted a season-high 27 turnovers on 16 Mission steals, while MU committed 25 turnovers on 15 steals for AU. Asbury converted the turnovers into 18 points on the offensive end, the Patriots making it into 33.
Asbury scored six bench points, while MU poured in 16. The Eagles converted 10 points in the paint, the Patriots 16.
This was the second meeting between the two programs in school history. The first coming at the 2024 NCCAA National Tournament where Mission won that face-off 66-63.
AU falls to 20-10 on the year, and will compete in the NCCAA National Tournament Third-Place game, Mission improves to 26-6 on the year and will now compete in the national championship game on Saturday.
"Today was just tough from the opening tip. I felt like we never were in sync other than in the 3rd quarter and some of the 4th. We did things we don't normally do, and you can't make those mistakes against great teams like Mission University and expect to win. I was very proud of the way we competed in the second half, because we could have easily quit, but didn't. We had it down to one possession, with the ball, but just couldn't get over the hump."
Chad Mayes | Head Women's Basketball Coach
Asbury will now play No. 6 Oakland City in the third place game to finish their season on Saturday at 11 AM EST.
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Emily Sizemore | 19 PTS, 5 REB, 3 STL
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Haleigh Releford | 15 PTS, 15 REB (Career-High), 6 STL (Became All-Time Single-Season Record Holder)
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Camryn Preston | 15 PTS, 4 REB
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Ma'Kiya West | 5 PTS, 4 REB
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