COLUMBIA - CIU women's basketball ended the 2023-2024 season on Saturday the same way they started it, with a win in the Moore Fitness Center. The Rams defeated Johnson University (15-7, 17-11 AAC) 65-58 to win their fifth game of the season, wrapping up the year at 4-18 in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) and 5-19 overall. The win evens the all-time series between the two teams, as both programs now hold four victories over the other. 

Saturday's contest was tightly contested from the jump, but the Royals did hold their largest advantage of the game in the first few seconds of the second quarter at 24-15 (9:54). The Rams showed some grit and cut the lead down to 31-28 on a Madison Hatcher finish and then trimmed the advantage back to just three (33-30) on a Keniah Watkins fastbreak layup moments before the halftime buzzer sounded. 

The Rams took their first lead with 51 seconds remaining on the clock in the third quarter on an Irene Were triple. The Rams then led by five (51-46) on a pair of Daja Taylor free throws heading into the final period. CIU surged forward by as much as eight (57-49) in the fourth but found themselves with just a one-point edge (57-56) with a buck forty-seven left in the ball game. Made free throws and a clutch 3-pointer from Hatcher would bury the Royals, however, as the Rams seized a seven-point win. 

The Rams had seven players in double-figures as Mariah Leinbach led the way with 15 points and five rebounds. Daja Taylor scored 14 on 6-of-7 shooting from the charity stripe, while both Watkins and Hatcher poured in 13. Watkins, a graduate student who played her final game in a Ram's uniform, led the team in rebound with six boards.

Were chipped in eight points for CIU off the bench. 

CIU's perimeter defense was impressive as the Royals were an eye-popping 6-of-31 from beyond the arc. 

What Interim Head Coach Cory Inman is saying: "This team endured a lot through the course of this season, individually and collectively. Their resiliency and competitive spirit today when they could have easily packed it in for the season was so refreshing to see. Thankful for each one of them and grateful to send Keniah out on a high note."

Up Next: CIU women's basketball concludes its 11th season as a collegiate program and its sixth as a member of the NAIA and the AAC.