Midland, Mich. – The University of Findlay women's basketball team suffered a devastating 57-56 defeat to the Malone Pioneers in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Tournament semifinals on Friday, March 6 at Riepma Arena in Midland, Michigan. That defeat ends the Oilers' season with a record of 16-13 while Malone continues its' season with a record of 25-5.
The matchup marked Findlay's first appearance in a G-MAC Tournament Semifinal since the 2022 season.
The closely contested matchup featured nine lead changes and five ties, with neither team able to pull away by more than a few possessions at any given time.
As the clock wound down in the third quarter, Allie Stockton delivered the most electrifying moment of the game. Stockton launched a half-court buzzer-beater that found the bottom of the net as time expired. That shot gave the Oilers a burst of energy and a slight 41-40 lead heading into the final ten minutes.
The back-and-forth action carried right down to the final seconds of the fourth quarter. Ariyah Douglas converted a clutch layup in the paint with just 24 seconds remaining to put Findlay in front 56-55. However, an inadvertent whistle abruptly stopped the game, halting Findlay's momentum in the closing moments.
Given the chance to regroup, Malone took a timeout with 11 seconds left to play. On the ensuing possession, Stockton was whistled for a foul beyond the three-point line with just five seconds remaining. Malone's Brinn Hunt stepped up to the charity stripe and knocked down both clutch free throws to retake the lead at 57-56. A final turnover by Findlay as time expired sealed the victory for Malone, sending the Pioneers to the championship game against host Northwood University tomorrow.
Findlay dominated the interior throughout the game but ultimately came up shy. The Oilers out-rebounded the Pioneers by a massive 40-24 margin and controlled the inside, outscoring Malone 28-16 in the paint. Findlay shot 40.7 percent from the floor compared to Malone's 37.0 percent, but the Pioneers won the game at the charity stripe, connecting on 12-of-14 free throws (85.7 percent) while the Oilers managed 7-of-11 (63.6 percent).
Despite the agonizing finish, several Oilers turned in strong individual performances. Allie Stockton led the way offensively for Findlay, scoring a team-high 15 points while pulling down four rebounds. Ariyah Douglas provided a major spark off the bench, tallying 12 points and hauling in six boards. Mackenzie Schulz was good on the glass, grabbing a game-high ten rebounds to go along with six points.
Alyssa Ziehler was also solid in the interior in her final collegiate game, adding 12 points and grabbing six rebounds. With her performance tonight, Ziehler cements her legacy at UF, finishing her career with 1,286 points, which ranks 11th on the program's all-time scoring list. She also finishes with 786 career rebounds, placing her fourth all-time in Findlay history.
On the other side, Brinn Hunt paced Malone with a game-high 17 points, while Erin Kaufman chipped in 15 points and a team-high seven rebounds to help punch their ticket to the final.
The narrow defeat extends a title drought for the program as the Oilers have not made it past the tournament semifinals since 2018.
