BILLINGS, Mont.. -- UPIKE womens basketball's bounce-back season came to a tough close on Thursday night as the Bears were bounced from the 2019 D1 NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship with a 58-45 loss to Carroll College.

Pikeville hung around through the first half and led after the first quarter. Senior Emily Baker came out of the gate firing on all cylinders, scoring 12 of her game-high tying 16 points in the first half.

The lone senior to play in the game, Baker finishes her career with 594 points and 525 rebounds. She improved her scoring each year and averaged six rebounds per game each of the last two years. Baker was also a First Team All Mid-South honoree this season.

UPIKE led 16-11 after the first quarter, but a late 5-0 run over the last 3:17 of the second quarter gave the Saints a 29-26 halftime lead.

The Bears were able to stay within striking distance early despite not having a strong shooting day with its solid play on defense. Pikeville held Carroll to 37 percent shooting in the first half.

That script changed intensely in the third quarter as Carroll scored the first seven points after halftime to almost immediately open up a double-digit lead. Things began to snowball downhill from there as the Saints outscored the Bears 21-7 in the third to hold a 17-point lead.

UPIKE cut that lead to nine points with a 8-0 run to open the fourth, but there wasn't enough left in the tank for the Bears as the Saints kept UPIKE at bay.

Pikeville ends the season with a 20-12 record, its fourth 20-win season in the last five.

-UPIKE-