WINONA LAKE, Ind. - CIU women's basketball played their second game of the 2023 NCCAA National Championship on Thursday. The Rams faced a familiar foe in the form of fellow Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) member Kentucky Christian University. The meeting was the fourth between the two teams and the second meeting of the 2023 postseason. The Rams had swept the season series 3-0, but it proved to difficult for CIU to take down the Knights a fourth time as a fourth-quarter comeback propelled KCU past the Rams, 74-72.

The Knights actually led the Rams 19-18 after one but seven second-quarter points from Madison Hatcher helped the Rams outscore the Knights 20-11 in the second period. CIU would lead by double-digits 39-29 at the break. 

Early scores from Jaylyn Twitty put the Rams up by as much as 14 (43-29) to start the second, and the Rams led by eight going into the fourth. The Knights came flying back in the final minutes of the fourth quarter to tie the game at 72-72 with 36 seconds left on the clock. KCU then seized the lead on a layup with 11 ticks to go, and a late jumper from Hannah Wilkerson was no good as CIU succumbed to the Knights by two. 

The Rams had four players in double-figures, Wilkerson (17), Hatcher (13), Tearra Cook (12), and Hannah Trawick (10). Mariah Leinbach crashed the glass hard with nine rebounds.

Up Next: The Rams will face off against Houghton University (N.Y.) in the seventh-place game at 1 PM.