EUGENE, Ore. – Trailing by as many as 17 points in the fourth quarter, the Northwest Christian University women's basketball team climbed to within two before succumbing to the fifth-seeded College of Idaho Coyotes, 85-81, in the quarterfinal round of the CCC Women's Basketball Tournament presented by U.S. Bank.
 
The Beacons were held at bay for most of the game and were down 67-50 with just under nine minutes to play. Slowly and methodically they began to chip away at the deficit but they still trailed by 11, 76-65 with 3:45 remaining.
 
On their next possession, Jeni Hoffert (pictured) was fouled while draining a three-pointer and completed the four-point play, and the Beacons began to mount what they hoped would be the last comeback they would need.
 
The Yotes Kiara Skinner had other plans and with 2:16 to play, hit a three of her own to give the visitors a double-digit lead once again.
 
Hoffert responded with a three on the other end, Hanna Mack hit a free-throw on the next possession and after a C of I turnover, Kenzie Weston hit a three of her own from the corner, pulling NCU to within 81-78 with under a minute to go.
 
The Beacons got a gift on the next possession when Alyssa Case missed both free-throws but could not take advantage, missing two shots at the other end of the floor. NCU was forced to foul again and with 19 seconds remaining, Case made good on her next pair from the stripe and College of Idaho went ahead 83-78.
 
NCU quickly drove down the hardwood and with seven seconds to play, Jenna Christenson buried a three to make it a one-possession game, but the Yotes sealed the win with another two at the line, this time from Petra Lumpert.
 
The Yotes (13-14) shot 51.7% in the game and survived a night in which they had 16 turnovers. Four players were in double-figures led by Skinner and Lumpert who each posted 22. Skinner was 6-for-14 from three-point range while Lumpert scored 16 of her points in the second half and also led C of I with eight rebounds and six assists. Maddie Skaggs added 15 points and three steals and Madison Pilster scored 12 points before fouling out.
 
The Beacons (17-11) shot 46% from the field and were 10-for-21 from three-point range. Hoffert ended her collegiate career with a monster game, scoring a career-high 28 points behind 6-for-9 shooting behind the arc. Senior Hanna Mack added 17 points and led the team with seven rebounds and three steals in what became her final game as well.
 
Weston was also in double-figures for the Beacons with 13 and Hannah Eddens came off the bench to score 10. The Beacon bench outscored the Yotes reserves, 14-6 and NCU out-rebounded the C of I, 34-33.
 
The College of Idaho advances to the CCC semifinals and will travel to face No. 1 seed Southern Oregon University on Friday night at 7:00 pm.
 
The Beacons season comes to a close with a 17-11 record and will miss out on a semifinal appearance for the first time since 2014. Head Coach Heath Alexander said, "Our kids kept battling and kept fighting tonight and I am really proud of that. Jeni had the hot hand and Hanna did a great job inside when we got her touches. This was a year when we had goals of hanging banners, and we are disappointed with where we finished because it kind of got taken away from us by things that were out of our control with injuries, and it's bittersweet to see the season end, but I can't express how proud I am of this group."