ROCKFORD, Ill.- With the season coming to a close the Rockford University women's basketball team looked to finish strong to try and secure the final spot in the conference tournament. It would be no easy task Saturday afternoon with the conferences top team, the Wisconsin Lutheran College Warriors, coming into town. In addition it was the final time seven senior Regents would take the court at the Seaver Center.
Rockford would take an early 9-5 lead in the game after Sherrell Woods (Rockford, Ill./East) hit a three-pointer. Wisconsin Lutheran then went on a 10-0 run before Destiny Chaney (Belleville, Ill./O'Fallon Township) made a jumper in the corner to end it. The Warriors went on another run, 9-2 this time, to go ahead 24-13 ten and a half minutes into the half. A basket by Katie Clark (Rock City, Ill./Dakota) and a made free throw a short time by her combined with a layup by Erin Ryczek (South Beloit, Ill./Hononegah) cut the Warriors lead down to six. Wisconsin Lutheran would increase their lead to as much as 11 throughout the rest of the first half but Rockford always had an answer for a Warriors basket. After Rockford stopped Wisconsin Lutheran on the final possession the first half score stood at 40-33 in favor of the Warriors.
Wisconsin Lutheran started the second half by increasing their lead to 13 points. Layups on back-to-back possessions by Chaney and Ryczek cut the Warriors lead down to nine. A long two-pointer by Lindsay Lengjak (Roscoe, Ill./Hononegah) brought the score to 48-42 Wisconsin Lutheran. Clark made a layup on the Regents next possession to get Rockford within four points with 14:34 left in the game. Over the next three minutes the Warriors were able to increase their lead to seven but a three-point play by Diamond Williams (Carpentersville, Ill./Dundee-Crown) got the Regents within four points.
After another layup by Williams got Rockford within two but the Warriors answered quickly extending their lead to seven with less than eight minutes left in the game. Wisconsin Lutheran was able to push their lead to 11 points over the next few minutes but Rockford still hung close to them. Ryczek made a pair of free throws at 3:38 to put the score at 70-62 Wisconsin Lutheran. Unfortunately for the Regents, the Warriors played tough defense down the stretch and made their free throw shots, and Rockford could not get closer. The Warriors came away with the 82-72 victory.
Today's loss combined with Marian University beating Concordia University Chicago results in a dire situation for Rockford's chances of making the conference tournament. For the Regents to make the tournament they need to win their final game of the season along with Marian and Lakeland losing their final game. Rockford's last regular season game of the year is on February 18th at 7 p.m. at Benedictine University. Marian's final game of the year is against Concordia University Wisconsin and Lakeland's last game is at Edgewood College.
