ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. – Lourdes women's basketball (22-8, 17-5 in WHAC) lost to Rochester Christian (21-9, 18-4 in WHAC), 59 to 79 in the WHAC Tournament semifinals in Rochester Hills, Mich. on Friday night.
The third-seeded Gray Wolves swept the second-seeded Warriors in the regular season but couldn't get the elusive third victory in a row to extend their tournament run.
Rochester Christian will take on the other Warrior-branded team in the conference tournament championship on Monday, top-ranked Indiana Tech.
Lourdes will now have to wait and see if they'll make the NAIA National Tournament as an at-large bid. Either way, this team's season was one for the history books. The 2025-26 Gray Wolves women's basketball team will go down as one of the best to ever play in the Ebeid Rec Center.
The team has broken numerous program records, including having the best overall record in program history at 22-8. If the team does make the national tournament and wins in the first round, then they'll also break the overall win total that they're currently tied with last year's team for.
1st Quarter
Rochester Christian set the pace for the game quickly, going on a 16-6 opening run through the first six minutes. The Warriors led the game by 10 after the first quarter and held Lourdes' perimeter and interior shooting in check.
Senior guard
Emma Pedroza kept the Lourdes offense in the game, scoring eight points in the quarter and leading the team with 22 on the night.
2nd Quarter
Lourdes' defense was able to slow down RCU's scoring in the second quarter thanks to forcing three steals and six total Warriors turnovers. Senior forward
Tamyah Worthy racked up three steals in the quarter, putting her season total at 87 and her career total at 172.
Despite the solid defense, Lourdes was held to 14 points in the quarter on less than 30% shooting. The result was a 12-point halftime lead for the Warriors.
3rd Quarter
Lourdes came out on fire to start the second half. Junior guard
Kaylona Butler and
Emma Pedroza each made a three-pointer and senior forward
Camryn Ivy made a far mid-range jump shot. After getting a couple of stops, Lourdes had cut the lead down to four with seven minutes to go in the quarter.
Just as momentum started creeping back towards Lourdes, RCU went on another 16-6 run to end the quarter. The Warriors played great defense to end the quarter, forcing the Gray Wolves into tough contested shots and allowing their offense to get some quick transition layups. Lourdes went into the final quarter down 43 to 57.
4th Quarter
RCU kept the defensive pressure high and shot free throws well down the stretch to win the game by 20 points. Lourdes never got the lead back down to single digits in the final frame as RCU remained disciplined and focused on finishing the game off as strong as they started.
Stats
RCU outshot Lourdes by 22% from the field, by 15% from the free throw line, and by 1% from the three-point line. RCU also won the rebounding battle by five. Lourdes had one less turnover than RCU due to getting eight steals on the defensive end.
Coach Bradford's Postgame Comments
"It's a very disappointing loss on many levels," Coach Bradford said postgame. "There is a reason we have been the only team to beat RCU at home this season. They are extremely tough here and they came to get to the championship. Defensively, we just didn't execute the game plan in very specific areas and that will be an area of frustration. Offensively, we struggled tonight moving the ball, rebounding, and even finishing at the rim. We just couldn't quite turn a corner and get in rhythm. We couldn't be prouder of a group of athletes that represent Gray Wolf Nation as a team, as servant leaders, and who love their community and the people in it. They are dedicated athletes and students. Our families and fans are the best, and the support is incredible for this team. Now, we're waiting to see if we get a bid to nationals, and then we can emotionally celebrate all these women have accomplished wearing Lourdes on their chest."
