Pensacola, FL — Our Lady Eagles were unable to hold onto their late lead in tonight's 63-58 defeat to the #3 seed Kentucky Christian University. In the contest, junior Joy Smith led the team with 22 points while Jessica Boyd added a double-double, scoring 12 points and pulling down 16 rebounds.

"We competed at a high level tonight," Head Coach Jared Sellars would go on to say after the game. "I am proud of the effort that our girl's put into tonight's game, but Kentucky [Christian College] played a great game. Hats off to them."

In the first quarter of action, the Lady Eagles jumped out to an early lead behind the superb play of their star guard Joy Smith. Joy Smith, who came into the game fresh off a selection to the NCCAA All-American 2nd team, put on a clinic in the 1st quarter, scoring the team's first 11 points. Behind the play of Smith, the Lady Eagles jumped out to an early 15-10 lead in this crucial NCCAA National Tournament Semifinal game. The team would go on to widen their lead and headed into the quarter break leading Kentucky Christian 19-10.

After the game, Joy Smith was asked about her early performance. She responded, "We wanted to shut down Kentucky on the perimeter, but most importantly we wanted to play well as a team. I was glad to be able to help out my teammates tonight."

The 2nd quarter saw a back-and-forth battle develop between two NCCAA DII Women's Basketball heavyweights. Three-pointers by Knights' guards Jordan Holt and Britanni Worthington helped their team regain a 24-23 advantage over the Lady Eagles with just four minutes remaining in the 1st half. But again, it was Joy Smith and fellow All-American Jessica Boyd who stepped up for their team. The pair added crucial buckets down the stretch and helped the Lady Eagles head into halftime tied at 27.

"We competed really well defensively in the 1st half," Head Coach Jared Sellars said after the loss. "We executed our game plan and played at a really high level early on."

Heading into the 2nd half, the Lady Eagles hoped to secure their first-ever berth in the NCCAA National Championship game. An early 5-0 run by the Knights helped put the Lady Eagles on their heels, but again Joy Smith would be the answer for the Lady Eagles. Her fourth three-pointer of the game and subsequent made layup helped her team regain the lead. A made three-pointer by Emma Hardy and an easy layup by Jessica Boyd sent the Lady Eagles into the final quarter leading 41-36 over the #3 seeded Kentucky Christian University Knights.

In the fourth quarter, the Lady Eagles saw their lead vanish behind a three-point barrage from the Knights. Back-to-back-to-back three pointers by Knights guards Lexie Gilliland and Paige Warren helped the team regain the lead with 4:55 remaining in the quarter. The Lady Eagles battled back to cut the deficit to just two with 3:37 left on the clock, but Kentucky Christian University was able to convert back-to-back and-one opportunities to widen their lead back to eight points. A spirited comeback attempt by the Lady Eagles would fall short as the team suffered a heartbreaking 63-58 defeat at the hands of the #3 seeded Knights.

Asked about his team's 2nd half performance, Head Coach Jared Sellars responded, "We played most of the game in a 2-3 zone, but Kentucky was able to make some great adjustments in the 2nd half. They made some great shots tonight, and the breaks just didn't bounce our way. I am really proud of my girl's effort tonight. They left it all on the court."

In the game, Joy Smith led the Lady Eagles with 22 points while Jessica Boyd added 12 points and 16 rebounds. The team shot just 25% from the floor and a paltry 7-24 from behind the three-point arch. Despite a season-low seven turnovers, the Lady Eagles struggled to rebound the basketball, giving up 41 rebounds compared to 39 for themselves.

The Lady Eagles will take the court one final time this year tomorrow morning at 9:45 a.m. CT when they take on Bob Jones University in the 3rd place game. The team will look to end the season on a high-note against a familiar opponent. Asked after the game what her team needs to do in tomorrow's game, Joy Smith responded, "We have to shake off this tough loss and come mentally prepared for tomorrow's game. Our team has a lot of fun playing together and seeing each other succeed. That has to be out mentality heading into our final game tomorrow."