WBK: Tops Dream Season Ends With 68-59 Loss in Regional

Zarina Fader connected on 3 of 4 from deep to finish with 17 points. Unfortunately, it was not enough for the  Tri-C Women's Basketball team as they fell in the regional first-round game 68-59 to the Lansing Community College Stars.

Tori Smith capped off a magnificent career with 15 points and six boards but the turnovers proved too much for the Tops to overcome. The Stars forced 23 miscues which kept them ahead the entire second half.

Lansing opened the game with a three-ball. The Tops fought through a turnover filled first period and found themselves down by 3 at the end of the first 14-11. The Tops played tenacious defense in the second period. Team leader, Quimari Shelton, picked up foul number three at the seven-minute mark and she had to sit for the remainder of the half.

Shelton returned after three minutes in the final stanza as the Tops battled but could never get closer than six points. The Tops scrapped and clawed but with turnovers and foul trouble they could never close the gap enough. The Stars doubled up the Tops at the line 30 to 15 and dished out 15 assists.

Brianna Buckley pulled down 10 boards (six on the offensive glass) and blocked two crucial lay-up attempts. Smith was perfect from the line, shot 55% from the field, and blocked three shots of her own. Fader added two steals and four boards to her impressive stat line and planted a seed as a main piece for next season.

The Tops finished the regular season as Ohio Community College Athletic Association's co-champs. The 18-10 (9-3) record was a nine-win improvement. After a zero-win conference season last year the Tops placed first and look to continue the forward movement next year. Congratulations to our Tops on an historic season!