UNIONTOWN, PA - Throughout the season, and especially over the last week, the Villa Maria College women's basketball program proved it belongs on the national stage with the best of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association.  On Wednesday, the top-seeded Vikings made their first ever appearance in the National Championship Game, and despite falling to number-two seed Central Maine 85-78 on Wednesday on the campus of Penn State Fayette, they set program records for wins in a season, winning streak and tournament seeding, all things to be proud of and to put the program on the map.

The Vikings entered the tournament as the top seed after posting a 23-2 regular season record.  They won the final 22 games of the regular season and the first two games in the tournament.  First, they defeated ninth-seed Penn State Fayette 92-51 in the Elite 8 and followed that with a Final Four victory over #4 Johnson & Wales (NC), 66-62 in overtime to reach Wednesday's Final.  Despite a furious second-half rally that saw the Vikings trim what was a 24-point lead to five in the fourth quarter, Villa couldn't fully complete the comeback.

After the two teams were tied at 12 through the first five minutes, the Mustangs finished the quarter on a 23-4 run, raking a 35-16 edge after 10 minutes.  After a three from Central Maine made the score 63-39 with 2:54 left in the third quarter, Villa used a 17-0 run into the fourth quarter to get back into the game with just over nine minutes left.  With 60 seconds left in the game, junior Tekia Gary forced a turnover and went coast-to-coast to cut the deficit to five, 77-72.  The Vikings played great defense on the ensuing possession but a back-breaking three from Central Maine with 37 seconds left to seal the game.

Senior Shaquana Owens and junior Nina Cray led Villa offensively with 20 points each.  Cray added 10 rebounds and Owens secured seven boards and dished out four assists.  Sophomore Armoni Jordan scored 13 and Gary added 11.

A full season recap will be made available in the coming days.

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