CALDWELL, Idaho  – The Northwest Christian University women's basketball team put an exciting cap on the season Tuesday evening, battling hard with No. 17 College of Idaho before falling to the Yotes, 65-56 in the first round of the Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament. The seventh-seeded Beacons held a half-time lead but couldn't hold on down the stretch.

Senior Katie Collins (pictured) set the tone in the first minute of the game, hitting a three-pointer as the Beacons built up a 14-7 lead. The Yotes, however, made a point of not letting the game get out of hand, rallying to within one point, 23-22 with 5:31 to play.

Then the Beacons charged out front with another run, forcing a pair of turnovers and scoring seven straight points in one minute as Collins once again hit a trey to make it a 30-22 game.

The College of Idaho again charged back with a 10-0 run to take the lead before an Aly Bruns three-pointer gave NCU a 33-32 advantage at the intermission. The Yotes shot just 33% from the field in the first half and kept things close despite losing star Felicity Jones for much of the half with two fouls.

Jones scored just six points before the break but would become a huge factor in the second half as the Yotes began to prove why they are the No. 2 seed in the CCC tournament. After trading leads over the first few minutes, Jones gave CI the lead for good with a jumper in the paint, making it a 40-39 game with 15:57 to play. Jones went on to score the next four points to establish a five-point advantage for the hosts.

The Beacons once again made a game of it, climbing to within one point, 48-47 with 7:04 to play and the visitors were still down just 52-51 at the five minute mark. Then the Yotes put in the dagger as Jones and Dayna Drager hit back-to-back three-pointers and soon CI was ahead by ten points.

Collins hit her 41st three-pointer of the season in the final minute, but it would end up being too little too late for the Beacons. After the game, head coach Liz Turner-Bolton said, “We battled tonight. We fought hard and we executed the game plan perfectly for 38 minutes. The Yotes hit four three-pointers in the game and two of them came during our one poor stretch.”

The Yotes (20-7) were led by Jones who finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Drager and Laura Geis scored 12 points apiece in the win. CI out-rebounded the Beacons 49-37 and held a 19-8 advantage in second-chance points.

The Beacons (13-17) were led by Collins and Lindsey Shearer, both of whom capped of their careers with 17 points. Shearer added 16 rebounds and four assists and ends her career ranked No. 2 all-time for the Beacons in scoring, rebounding, and assists. Senior Aly Bruns scored nine points and Kelsey Atkins finished with two points and a game-high five assists.

“Our seniors gave it their all tonight,” said Turner-Bolton. “Katie, Lindsey and Aly hit some crucial shots and Kelsey scrapped all over the floor. The seniors went out the way they have always played: hard.”