Eagles Finish as National Runner-Up After 64-58 Battle with Pima
Hickory, NC- The 6-seeded Kirkwood Eagles saw their season come to a close Saturday night in the NJCAA Division II National Championship, falling to 4-seeded Pima 64-58 in a tightly contested game from start to finish.
Kirkwood came out strong, taking a 22-13 lead after the first quarter while shooting 57.1% from the field. The Eagles cooled off in the second quarter, scoring just 8 points, allowing Pima to cut into the lead heading into halftime.
The game remained tight through the second half, with both teams scoring 15 points in the third quarter. Pima pulled away late in the fourth, outscoring Kirkwood 22-13 to secure the win.
Erianna Moeschter led the Eagles with 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting, while Olivia Wren added 12 points with two three-pointers. Bra'Ja Torry contributed 11 points and 5 rebounds. Kirkwood shot 35.2% from the field and 33.3% from three, while going 16-of-24 (66.7%) from the free throw line.
On the glass, Kirkwood matched Pima with 34 rebounds and held an 18-13 edge in second-chance points. However, Pima capitalized in key areas, scoring 32 points in the paint and 17 points off turnovers compared to Kirkwood's 20 and 9, respectively.
Despite the loss, the Eagles cap off an outstanding season with a 30-5 overall record and a national runner-up finish.
