CHAMPIONSHIP INFO
POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. – No. 5 seed Cedarville held off a furious rally by No. 3 Sterling for a 65-63 win in the third-place game at the NCCAA Championship.
The Lady Jackets, 14-17 overall, completed the 2025-26 campaign by winning six of their last seven games.
Ella Sellars scored a game-high 17 points.
Harmony Laker came off the bench with 14 points and
Chloe Downing chipped in 13.
Cedarville shot 48 percent and hit five three-pointers in storming out to a 37-20 lead by halftime.
Sterling immediately closed the gap in the third quarter and got to within one in the game's final seconds.
The Jackets converted five free throws in the last 52 seconds to cool off the Warriors' comeback bid.
Quotable: Head Coach Addy Miller
"I was really proud of how this group bounced back. We had a tough, physical practice yesterday following Thursday's loss, but they came out focused and played extremely well in the first half. Sometimes you just have to find a way to hold on, and that's exactly what we did today. Credit to Sterling for continuing to battle and fight throughout.
"No one likes seeing the season end, but most teams don't get the opportunity to close out the year with a win and we did that today. I thoroughly enjoyed coaching this team this season and am excited to keep building and growing moving forward. Go Yellow Jackets!"
Five Facts:
- Downing led the team in assists (3) and steals (4).
- Sarah Loughry totaled eight points and a team-high seven rebounds.
- Cedarville had the advantage in bench points, 26-7.
- Emma Kay Martin was named to the five-player all-tournament team.
- It was the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
