SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – No. 24 UT Southern saw its historic postseason run come to an end Saturday evening, falling 80–67 to No. 18 Spring Arbor in the NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship Second Round at the McDonald Athletic Center.
The Firehawks, who earned their first-ever NAIA National Championship victory the night before, battled throughout the contest but were unable to overcome a decisive third-quarter surge by the host Cougars.
Spring Arbor jumped out quickly in the opening minutes, building an early lead behind a pair of early three-pointers and interior finishes. UT Southern answered midway through the first quarter as Ashley Dickey converted at the free-throw line before Silkiari Vazquez-Troche sparked the offense with a fastbreak layup.
Vazquez-Troche continued to attack the paint, scoring consecutive baskets to trim the deficit, while Marypaz Martinez added a strong finish inside to bring the Firehawks within striking distance. Mycala Carney then knocked down a three-pointer from the wing to cut the margin to a single point.
Late in the quarter, Vazquez-Troche drove to the basket and completed a three-point play, and the Firehawks capped the period with a transition layup by Mia Jones off an assist from Abbilyn Teter as the teams finished the opening frame tied at 21–21.
UT Southern briefly grabbed momentum early in the second quarter when Jones finished inside and Ramie Reid followed with a basket in the paint to give the Firehawks a narrow lead. Vazquez-Troche continued to orchestrate the offense, finding Martinez for a three-pointer that pushed UT Southern ahead again midway through the period.
Dickey added a basket inside with under two minutes remaining in the half, but Spring Arbor closed the period with a fastbreak score to take a 34–32 advantage into halftime.
The Cougars seized control in the third quarter. After UT Southern cut the deficit to two on a pair of Vazquez-Troche baskets, Spring Arbor answered with a decisive run fueled by turnovers and second-chance opportunities, stretching the lead into double figures.
Despite the Firehawks battling to stay within reach—getting points from Martinez at the rim and free throws from Vazquez-Troche—the Cougars closed the quarter with a late three-pointer to extend the lead to 60–47 entering the fourth.
UT Southern attempted to rally in the final period behind the efforts of Reid and Carney. Reid converted multiple baskets in the paint and added free throws, while Carney scored inside and from the line to trim the deficit slightly. However, Spring Arbor responded each time with timely baskets and free throws to keep the Firehawks at bay down the stretch.
Vazquez-Troche led UT Southern with 19 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block while playing a team-high 38 minutes. Reid added 12 points and six rebounds, and Carney provided a strong spark off the bench with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including two three-pointers.
Dickey finished with eight points and two steals, while Martinez also scored eight points with two rebounds and two steals. Jones chipped in four points, Totten added one point and two rebounds, and Smith collected five rebounds with a block.
UT Southern finished the season with a 23-7 record and a historic postseason milestone, earning the program's first NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship victory while advancing to the Second Round for the first time in program history.
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