Despite a valiant comeback effort in the game's final minute, the Lindenwood women's basketball team lost 78-71 to Bluefield State College (W. Va.) in the quarterfinal round of the ECAC Division II Tournament Wednesday in Bluefield, W.V.

"We were a little shell shocked in the first half," Lindenwood coach Tony Francis said. "We didn't contest shots very well on defense. Offensively we didn't make a lot of easy shots. That's not a very good recipe."

The Lady Blues led most of the game. Senior guard Jenaya Abernathy scored 16 points by halftime to lead the Lady Blues.

MIAA Freshman of the Year Kassidy Gengenbacher had eight points at the break for the Lady Lions and finished with a team-high 27 points. In the final three games of the season, Gengenbacher averaged 25.7 points.

The Lady Blues built leads of 48-30 and 53-36 in the second half as the Lady Lions had trouble finding their footing against a foreign opponent more than 600 miles from St. Charles. The Lady Lions lost their final three games and finished the season with a record of 14-14. Bluefield State improved to 14-10 and advanced to the ECAC semifinals Saturday in Fairfield, Conn.

"They were very athletic and quick and strong inside," Francis said. "They had athletes at every position. And they brought four athletes off of the bench."

In their first year of official NCAA competition, the Lady Lions finished seventh in the conference, hosted a tournament game and beat Central Missouri, the regular-season champion of the MIAA. Players who waited for years at a chance to play in the postseason while Lindenwood underwent the transition from the NAIA to NCAA, played in two postseason games in 10 days.

Two seniors played their final game for the Lady Lions. Forward Caroline Bourlioux played in her 100th game with the Lady Lions and leaves with more than 1,000 career points. She grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds against the Lady Blues and finished with six points.

Guard Cassie Bluemner played in 96 games in four seasons with the Lady Lions. In her final game, Bluemner played in 23 minutes and finished with six points.

Although not in uniform because of an injury sustained against Central Missouri Feb. 15, it was senior Marissa Lehnig's last game with the Lady Lions. Lehnig scored 902 points in 100 games at Lindenwood.

"(The seniors) came in here and inherited an eight-win NAIA team and they set a good foundation for the future of this program," Francis said. "I want them to be proud of what their legacy is."