PORTSMOUTH, OH - The women's basketball team's 2023-24 season came to an end in the RSC Quarterfinals as they fell 71-58 to the Shawnee State University Bears on the road. The Trailblazers finish the season with an overall record of 20-9 and 11-7 in conference. 

Ashley Deweese finished her sophomore campaign with a bang, coming up with 25 points on 8-20 shooting. Deweese finished the season as the seventh-highest leading scorer in the conference, averaging 16.4 points per game. 

Emma Koons came up with her 11th double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Koons is third in the conference in shooting, averaging 19.0 points per game, and seventh in rebounding, averaging 8.4 rebounds per game. Koons hit double digits in points all but one game this season and is currently at 999 career points. 

The Bears held the RSC's leading scorer Haley Cox to just eight points and two rebounds on Tuesday night. Cox finished the season averaging 27.0 points per game, the third-highest average in the NAIA. Cox hit 1,000 career points this year, recorded the school's first triple-double with steals, was a 7-time RSC Player of the Week,  a NAIA National Player of the Week, broke the school single-season scoring record as well as the single-game scoring record. 

The Trailblazers had a lot of momentum in the first few possessions, but Shawnee ran away with it late in the first quarter to increase their lead to 25-16 by the end of the first ten minutes. Ohio Christian was never able to regain the lead. 
 
A much improved second quarter (14-15) wasn't enough to cut the deficit but rather stick within ten at 40-30 by the end of the half. Deweese had her best half in recent weeks, leading with 12 points at halftime. Cox was held to four points in the first half.
 
The third quarter went to the Bears 17-10 as the Trailblazers could not get an offense rolling and the struggles continued into the fourth quarter.
 
The Trailblazers battled until the final whistle, winning the fourth quarter 18-14, but couldn't handle the Bears despite a crowd that was majority Ohio Christian fans.
 
Though a tough end to the season, the women's basketball team brought a level of excitement and passion to this year that is something to be proud of.

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