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INDEPENDENCE, Mo. – The Carroll College women's basketball team overcame a double-digit deficit to briefly gain a lead over Freed-Hardeman in the fourth quarter but couldn't hold on to the lead and fell 51-44 to the Lions in the first-round of the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Championship.
 
The Saints jump out to an early 4-0 lead on buckets from Cassidy Hashley and Jordan Johnston but the Lions closed the first quarter on an 11-1 run to take a 11-5 lead after the first frame.
 
FHU pushed the lead to 21-11 with 29 seconds left the first half but Cassidy Hashley hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds to cut the lead to 21-14 at the break.
 
The Saints outscored Freed-Hardeman 15-11 in the third quarter to cut the lead to 32-29 heading into the final quarter.
 
Carroll continued chipping away and took a 37-36 lead on a pair of free throws from Hannah Dean with 7:17 left in the game but  FHU leading scorer Taleeah Cross answered with a runner on the other end and the Saints Saints would not lead for the rest of the game.
 
The Saints cut it to 44-43 with 1:22 remaining but Cross would again answer to keep the Lions on top. Carroll fouled to try to get possession but the Freed-Hardeman was 5 of 6 from the line in the last minute of the game to earn the seven-point win.
 
The shooting woes that troubled the Saints for much of the season returned against the stiff FHU defense. Carroll was 15 of 47 (31.9 percent) from the field and 3 of 12 (25 percent) from the three-point line.
 
Hashley scored a team-high 12 points and nine rebounds. Hannah Dean tallied 10 points off the bench.
 
"Unless you win the national championship, the last game is always tough," head coach Rachelle Sayers said. "We had a great run with a young team. I felt like we definitely improved but obviously we wanted to win tonight. We made some runs but they just made a few more runs than we did. I am proud of the way the girls fought back."
 
The game was the final for seniors Katie Estey, Jordan Johnston and Kacie McKeon.
 
"They set an amazing example for the rest of our team and they set the bar high for what it means to be a Carroll College Saint," Sayers said. "They're legacy will live on and not just because of their points, assists or defense but because of the people that they were. I am honored that I had the chance to coach them."