General 3/16/2024 4:30:00 PM Braden Mottor

Lady Eagles Exit the National Championship with 3rd Place

Game Recap:
After a tough loss in the National Semifinal, the Lady Eagles had to have a short-term memory and lock in to earn this year's 3^rd place in the National Tournament. Facing the Crown College Polars for the first time in program history, the Lady Eagles were up to the new challenge. After a closely contested 1^st quarter, the Lady Eagles slowly pulled away as the game progressed and ultimately pulled away with an 82-70 3^rd place victory!

As the game opened, the Lady Eagles started strong. With four stops in a row on defense, the Lady Eagles held a 6-0 lead in the first three minutes of play. Later, after a three-pointer for the Polars, the Lady Eagles lost the lead for the first time. With a few back-and-forth buckets, there were 6 lead changes in the last 4 minutes of play in the 1^st quarter. As the 2^nd quarter began, the Lady Eagles held a narrow 17-16 lead. After regaining the lead just before the break, the Lady Eagles would never trail for the remainder of the game. As the 2^nd quarter progressed, the Lady Eagles grew their lead as large as 11 points but as close as a tied game. With a 10-point 2^nd quarter performance by Kristin Mentzer, the Lady Eagles commanded a 45-36 lead at the half.

As the 3^rd quarter began, the teams traded buckets for the first 3-minutes of play. With the Lady Eagles able to hang onto their 8-point lead in the early stages of the 3^rd, consecutive buckets by Phelps, Torres, and Boyd pushed the Lady Eagle lead to 14 points. With the Lady Eagle lead growing as large as 17 points by the end of the 3^rd quarter, the Lady Eagles could sense their victory getting closer and closer. While the Polars were able to outscore the Lady Eagles 24-19 in the 4^th quarter, the Lady Eagles senior backcourt of Leah Phelps and Jenna Wolford totaled 11 points in the 4^th quarter while going a combined 8-8 from the free throw line. When the final buzzer sounded, the Lady Eagles were victorious as the 2024 NCCAA 3^rd Place winners by a final score of 82-70.

With the Lady Eagles shooting a combined 28-60 from the field and 22-31 from the FT line, the 82 points scored were very evenly spread. Leading all Lady Eagles was Leah Phelps who scored 16 points. Closely behind was Montse Torres and Sky Boyd who both recorded 15 points a piece and a combined 10-16 FG shooting (63%). To round out today's scoring was sophomore Rachel Phelps with 7 points and seniors Kristin Mentzer (12 points), Jenna Wolford (8 points), and Holland Guisler (8 points). With 8 Lady Eagles contributing on the scoreboard, today's win was truly a team effort!

What's Next:
To follow the Eagles' off-season, follow @eaglespccwbb on Instagram. For complete coverage of all PCC Eagles teams, events, and schedules, follow @eaglespcc on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Players Mentioned

#3 Holland Guisler: F; 5' 9"; Senior

#4 Kristin Mentzer: F; 5' 7"; Senior

#23 Leah Phelps: G; 5' 5"; Senior

#2 Rachel Phelps: G; 5' 5"; Sophomore

#21 Montse Torres: F; 5' 11"; Senior

#14 Jenna Wolford: G; 5' 5"; Senior

#25 Sky Boyd: G; 5' 8"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#3 Holland Guisler
: 5' 9"; Senior
: F

#4 Kristin Mentzer
: 5' 7"; Senior
: F

#23 Leah Phelps
: 5' 5"; Senior
: G

#2 Rachel Phelps
: 5' 5"; Sophomore
: G

#21 Montse Torres
: 5' 11"; Senior
: F

#14 Jenna Wolford
: 5' 5"; Senior
: G

#25 Sky Boyd
: 5' 8"; Freshman
: G