Historic Season Closes for Women's Basketball with Loss in WHAC Semifinals

LIMA, OH - UNOH women's basketball saw their historic season come to an end in the WHAC Semifinals Friday night as seventh-seed Lourdes took down the Racers 79-74 in the program's first home tournament game since 2012.

UNOH led most of the first quarter but saw the Gray Wolves score the final four points of the frame to carry a 21-18 lead into the second. Lourdes held the lead through the whole second period and clung to a three-point advantage at the break.

The Racers opened the second half with a 10-3 run that put them back in front 47-43 leading most of the quarter and holding a 56-54 lead heading into the final stanza. The fourth quarter proved difficult for UNOH as Lourdes came out strong and the Racers couldn't stop the bleeding. Over the first five minutes of the frame, the Gray Wolves dominated on both ends putting together a 15-3 stretch that gave them the largest lead of the game for either team, 69-59, with 4:52 left to play. UNOH made one final push and answered with their own 10-2 run that cut the lead back to just two with less that two minutes remaining, but Lourdes was cool at the free throw line hitting 6-8 attempts down the stretch to hold off the Racers' comeback and earn a place in the WHAC Championship game on Monday.

Alysia Lawson finished the season as the team's leading scorer for the 14th straight game and 26th time in 30 games this season. Lawson finished with 25 points on 10-20 shooting from the field. Olivia Thompson also shot 50% in the game including 5-8 from long range for 19 points on the night. Alayha Allen and Jayce Allen both posted double-doubles with A. Allen grabbing twelve rebounds, J. Allen pulling down ten and both scoring ten points. Alycia Patterson chipped in nine points while dishing out a career high nine assists. 

The 2024-25 season has been the most successful in the history of the program as they opened up with the best overall start (12-1) and conference start (5-0) in program history leading to the program's most ever wins at 20-10 (18 - 2009-10). The early start also resulted in the program receiving votes in the NAIA Coaches' Poll for the first time since 2012 and culminated with the program's first ever post-season victory in overtime against Siena Heights.

The Racers also set program records for points per game (79.9), total points (2398) and scoring margin (+13.3) this year while finishing second all-time in field goals made, field goal percentage, three-pointers made, blocks and assists.

The historic team success was fueled by some historic individual successes as well this season. Forward Alayha Allen set two career program records with 98 total blocks over just two seasons that blows away the previous record of 59 set over four seasons (Molly French: 2007-11). Allen also ends her career as the program's top rebounder averaging 9.0 rebounds per game that breaks the previous record of 7.5 (Madison Coldren: 2012-15).

Guard Alysia Lawson concludes the best basketball season in terms of scoring in the history of Northwestern Ohio athletics. Lawson finishes the year second in the country in scoring average with 25.6 points per game breaking her own record spanning both the men's and women's programs set last season and setting a new WHAC benchmark as well (Brooke Adams - 24.6 | 2013-14). Her 741 total points this year is the most for either the men's or women's programs in a single season that led to a conference record with a remarkable nine WHAC Player of the Week awards in 18 weeks this season.