Grace College’s Micah Pollard advances against SAGU Friday at the NCCAA Women’s Basketball National Championships. (Photo provided by the Grace College Sports Information Department)

WINONA LAKE – Grace’s women’s basketball team suffered its third-lowest scoring output of the season on Friday, falling in the fifth-place game of NCCAA Nationals to Southwestern Assemblies of God University.

The Lady Lancers (18-17) wrapped up the 2014-15 campaign with a 51-47 loss to finish sixth in the tournament, although Grace nearly pulled off a remarkable comeback over the final eight minutes.

The warning signs for Grace’s offensive woes began immediately on Friday as Grace needed over three minutes to get on the scoreboard. Grace trailed 8-2 within five minutes of play, but a pair of 3-pointers from Heather House and Micah Pollard helped move Grace on top 11-10 for the Lady Lancers’ only lead of the game.

Over the final 10:53 of the half, the Lady Lancers scored just six more points. Grace had an eight-minute scoring drought, but the Lady Lancers’ defense kept the score close. SAGU only led by three 20-17 at the halftime break.

Both squads had nine turnovers before halftime, and Grace shot 23 percent from the floor. No player on the floor had more than five points in the first half.

The Lions (16-20) looked to pull away midway into the second half after opening up a 14-point lead with 8:31 on the clock, but Grace was not going down without a fight.

Grace’s fullcourt pressure began to turn the tide in a frantic comeback bid. Two 3-pointers from House sparked Grace’s run as the Lady Lancers kept the pressure on the Lions. After scoring 28 points over the first 31 minutes of action, Grace produced 19 points in the last 8:12 of action on Friday.

A layup from Kelsie Peterson brought the score to 48-44 with 1:21 to play, but the Lions made a critical basket on the ensuing possession to gain some breathing room. Grace did not make another shot until the waning seconds as SAGU held on to clinch fifth place.

Allison Kauffman fittingly scored the last points of the season for Grace with a 3-pointer to close out her remarkable career. She finished her four years ranked No. 2 in program history for both career points (1,784) and career rebounds (945). She, along with fellow seniors Lindsey Schaefer, Heather House and JoEllen Fickel, helped Grace rack up 74 victories since 2011 – the highest four-year total in Lady Lancer history. The seniors also had a .500 or better record in Crossroads League play all four seasons – the first four such seasons in Lady Lancer history.

House produced a career high in her final game with 13 points, including a personal-best three 3-pointers. Kauffman tallied 11 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals, Pollard had 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals, and Gabby Bryant added six points and six boards.