WINONA LAKE, Ind. - CIU women's basketball returned to the NCCAA National Championship hosted by Grace College (Ind.) on Wednesday and faced Alice Lloyd (Ky.) in the championship's opening round. An early morning contest would not go the Rams' way as after trailing big early, a CIU comeback attempt fell short, 84-77, to the Eagles.  

The Rams led 11-9 through the game's first five minutes thanks to the inside presence of Tearra Cook. However, that lead slipped away as the Eagles led 23-16 after one. The Rams got as close as four in the second, but Alice Lloyd extended the advantage out to 47-35 at the break. 

The Eagles led by as much as 13 in the third, but the Rams clawed their way back in large part to some timely scores from Hannah Wilkerson and Cook. After trailing by seven after three, the Rams trimmed the deficit all the way down to 69-67 on a Queeneka Howard triple with 5:50 remaining. It was as close as the Rams would get, however, as the Eagles' guard play was solid down the stretch, helping to down CIU by seven. 

Wilkerson shined in her first game on the national stage, pouring in 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. Cook and Mariah Leinbach were the other two Rams in double-figures, with Cook collecting 13 points and eight boards while Leinbach tallied 11 points. Zhani Thompson chipped in six points and 11 rebounds, while Queneka Howard added eight points and six rebounds. Freshman floor general Jaylyn Twitty stuffed the stat sheet with six points, six assists, and six rebounds. 

What Coach Danielle Fleming is saying: "Losing is so tough, especially when we played well. Alice Lloyd is a good team, and I believe we gave them a good game! Love the foundation this team has built and looking forward to fighting for our first 20-win season."

Up Next: The Rams will move to the losers bracket to play the loser of Oakland City (Ind.) and Kentucky Christian on Thursday, Mar. 16, at 8:30 AM.