PHILADELPHIA – The No. 22 HFU women's basketball team led by as many as 15 in the third quarter, but the Tigers were overcome by top seed and host No. 3 Bentley in the NCAA Division II East Region Final on Monday night.
Holy Family end the season with a 26-7 overall record, its most wins since 2013. The Tigers were making their fourth appearance in the East Region Final in program history.
Leading 38-24 at the break,
Taylor Hinkle (Chalfont, Pa./Central Bucks South) scored seven of the first 11 second half points for a game-high 45-30 advantage with 7:27 to go in the third quarter.
Bentley began its push with 14 unanswered, pulling within one on two occasions before HFU opened the fourth with six straight points capped by back-to-back
Lola Ibarrondo (Bristol, Pa./Neshaminy) jumpers to go ahead 53-46 with 7:37 to go.
The Falcons came back with nine consecutive point of their own though, to take their first lead, 53-55 with 5:11 left, since it was 0-2.
Hinkle tied it back up on the next trip down the court, and the Tigers had the opportunity to go back on top following a defensive stop, but back-to-back layup completed a 4-13 stretch for a 55-59 scoreline with 3:05 remaining.
Skyler Searfoss (Jim Thorpe, Pa./Jim Thorpe Area) made two free throws 35 seconds later, but the Falcons countered with a 3-pointer to make it a two-possession cushion for good.
Individual Highlights
- Hinkle led all players with 18 points and 13 rebounds for her 16th double-double of the season
- The junior moved into eighth in program history with 752 career rebounds, while finishing the season with 331 boards, the second most in program history
- Jessica Riepe (Marlboro, N.J./Marlboro) and Carolyn Prevost (Belle Mead, N.J./Montgomery) closed out their careers with nine and six points, respectively, with Riepe making two triples to move into fifth in the program's single-season history with 65
- Searfoss contributed eight points and tied Kaelah Carter (Watervliet, N.Y./Shaker (The College of Saint Rose)) and Lauren Palangio (North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin) with a team-high three assists
- Kara Meredith (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Archbishop Wood) had eight points too, with Palangio adding seven
Inside the Box Score
- Holy Family outrebounded Bentley 41-24, but the Falcons won the turnover battle, 3-15, leading to a 3-18 edge in points off turnovers
How it Happened
- Holy Family trailed for just 21 seconds in the first three quarters after Bentley opened the scoring, as the Tigers quickly responded with a 12-2 surge, featuring five points from Hinkle, to build a 16-11 edge following 10 minutes of play
- An Amy Ngo (Fort Washington, Pa./Upper Dublin) 3-pointer capped seven unanswered for the first double-digit advantage, 25-14, with 6:45 left in the first half
- The Falcons got as close as three, 25-22, with the next eight points, but back-to-back Meredith trifectas sparked a 13-2 flurry for a first high-high 38-24 lead on a Serarfoss jumper in the final seconds
- Bentley beat the buzzer for the 12-point differential at the break
