BARTLESVILLE, Okla. – The season came to a heartbreaking end Thursday night for the Northwestern Oklahoma State University Lady Rangers as they fell to the No. 1 seed Southwestern Oklahoma State, 78-73, in the opening round of the Great American Conference Championship Tournament.

Northwestern finished the season with a 12-18 record after qualifying for its first ever GAC Tournament. It was just the second time ever the NWOSU and SWOSU have met on a neutral floor.

It was a tight game from the opening tip of as the two teams traded baskets throughout the first quarter. Southwestern had an early advantage, but Jade Jones and Bailey Brown put in shots around the rim for the first tie of the game.

The Lady Rangers then took the lead at the 6:58 mark of the first when Kalea King hit a pullup jumper in the paint to tie the game with an early 6-0 run.

Later in the quarter, Northwestern took the lead on a layup from Brown, followed by a McKenzie Billy layup on a fastbreak off a Southwestern turnover and Bailey Forrel made it a 21-15 advantage with a three.

Northwestern went into the second quarter with a 30-25 lead over the Lady Bulldogs.

Southwestern got the rim quickly to start the second quarter. After the Lady Rangers turned the ball over on the next possession, Brown took the ball away from GAC Player of the Year Hayden Priddy. Jakeria Otey finished the sequence with three to put the Lady Rangers up six.

With 6:44 to go in the second, the Lady Rangers held on to their biggest lead of the game when King got a putback layup to make it an eight point advantage. However, the Lady Bulldogs went on a 12-3 run to close the quarter, only to be stopped by a Deja Beechum three to end the half at 44-43 Southwestern.

King was playing with a lot of fire in the first half with 15 points.

The third quarter was a defensive battled as both teams forced multiple turnovers.

Northwestern did regain the lead on its first possession of the half as they pulled down two offensive boards to set up a Brown second chance layup. Brown finished the game with another double-double, her seventh of the season, with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

After Southwestern took the lead a few minutes later, Jones hit a huge three against her former team to tilt the score back toward the Lady Rangers, 52-50.

Ultimately, the Lady Bulldogs would tie the game at 58 heading to the final quarter of the game.

In the fourth quarter, whenever the Lady Rangers would take the lead, Southwestern would responded with a basket of their own.

With 7:48 to go in the game and tied at 62, Otey drilled a three from the right wing to put swing the advantage back toward the Lady Rangers. Unfortunately, the Lady Bulldogs went on a quick 7-0 run to retake the lead.

After King got to the basket to knot the game up yet again with 3:38 to go, the Lady Bulldogs grabbed the lead for the final time. Their biggest lead of the game didn't come until the final 15 seconds with a six point advantage.

Despite having the leading rebounder in the conference during the regular season, Brown's 12 rebounds was a game high. As a team, the Lady Rangers outrebounded Southwestern 33-29.

The Lady Rangers finished the 54-percent from the floor with six three point baskets made. Southwestern had the advantage at the lead with seven more free-throw attempts than the Lady Rangers.

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