La Verne, CA - The University of La Verne hosted The University of Redlands for a final joust between the number one and two seeds.

Both teams overcame the first round of the tournament this past Thursday. The Leopards looked to defeat the Bulldogs for the third time this season. The University of La Verne encountered an early deficit, struggling to match up against Redlands' size inside. The Leopards found themselves down 13 points to start the third quarter. The Leopards found themselves in the same situation a week ago against the same team on the road. La Verne held the Bulldogs to only six third-quarter points as they took control of the game.

The Leopards came back, and it became a back-and-forth battle between the two best-seeded teams in the conference. Trading baskets over the last few possessions of the game, no team would go up more than three points. A turnover by the Bulldogs would give the Leopards one final chance to seal the victory but the Leopards would fall to the Bulldogs 70-69. The Leopards' senior guard Dejanee Gill had 22 points and six rebounds with timely baskets toward the Leopard's comeback. Dawson Bell had 17 points to go along with five rebounds. Jazzlyn Johnson contributed with 9 points off the bench with three rebounds. 

Heach coach Jason Pruitt shared his thoughts about the game and his team after the game. "This isn't the ending we imagined, and certainly not the one we wanted. Every athlete has suffered through a tough loss at some point in their career — the only difference is in how well they deal with it.

We had a shot to win the game, that's all you can ask for is a chance.  We called time out and drew up a play, somehow things got mixed up and we had to scramble.  The ball landed in the hands of one of our Graduate Seniors and everyone knows how the story ends. That's life, sometimes you come up just a little short.  We had an excellent look to win.  We just missed.