(Story courtesy of Colorado College Athletics Communications)
WHITEWATER, Wis. -- Cn Friday night in Whitewater, Wisconsin, the historic and accomplished season for the No. 25 Colorado College women's basketball team ended in the first round of the NCAA Tournament after the team fell to UW-La Crosse 79-52. | Postgame Press Conference
CC ends the season with a program-best 23-4 record and its second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance to cap the historical year.
Senior Zoë Tomlinson put up a patented double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. She had 23 double-doubles this season, the third most in the country.
Healy Bledsoe added 14 points, four rebounds, an assist and two steals. The Bend, Oregon native has 150 steals in her CC career, the ninth most in program history. Laura Strenk finished with eight points, four rebounds, four assists and a steal. Strenk led the team with 130 assists this season, the sixth most in a season in program history. She also moved up to sixth all-time with 248 career assists.
Kayla Mackel scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
CC and La Crosse battled back and forth in the opening quarter. The Tigers scored the first bucket off the tip-off when Mackel had the fast-break layup less than five seconds into the game. The Eagles responded with a 50 percent shooting clip in the first quarter, leading 19-15 going into the second.
The Tigers shot the basketball well out the gates, converting on 63.64 percent in the opening frame, but shot 35.71 percent in the second quarter. La Crosse shot 50 percent (3-6) from long range in the quarter, which started a lethal trend for the remainder of the game. The Eagles made 12 three-pointers and shot 40 percent from long range by the night's end.
La Crosse led 38-27 at the half. In the third quarter, CC battled back within eight points after a Mackel three-pointer with 3:25 remaining to make it 49-41. The Eagles responded with a three of their own and held a 53-43 lead at the end of the quarter.
CC was held to only 27.27 percent from the floor in the fourth as La Crosse had its best shooting quarter of the game to seal the eventual 79-52 victory.
The Tigers wrap up the 2024-25 season with historical marks. They managed to go 13-0 at home for the first time in program history, win 20 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1981, their first-ever SCAC Regular Season title and its second-ever NCAA Tournament bid.
