NEW ORLEANS, La.- No. 14-seeded Lindsey Wilson women's basketball fell to the third-seeded  Crusaders of William Carey University (Miss.) 70-61 Friday afternoon in the Convocation Center of Xavier University of Louisiana during the first round of the NAIA National Tournament. 

Claire Fleming led the offensive brigade for Lindsey Wilson totaling 18 points, six rebounds, and four assists on 11-11 shooting from the charity stripe. Saniyah Shelton rounded out the double-digit scoring ending with 12 points, four rebounds, and four assists, shooting three-for-five from behind the arc.

Saniyah Shelton got the offense started for the Blue Raiders, converting on a pull-up jumper inside the paint at 9:44, for the early 2-0 advantage. The Crusaders answered back with a 7-0 run that lasted 1:36, until Shelton found Emily Cox on the wing for a wide-open three, cutting the lead to 7-5. Crusader Shaneal Corpuz answered back with two of her own, extending the William Carey lead to 9–5. Taylor Guess hit Shelton at the top of the key for a contested three to cut the lead to 9-8 with 5:12 on the clock. William Carey answered back with another 7-0 run before Grace Brewer came off the bench, rattling in a three from the top of the key, trailing 16-11 with 2:17 to play in the first ten minutes of action. Lindsey Wilson trailed 18-11 headed into the second quarter.

After a jumper from Kolten Blakeney to extend the Crusaders' lead to 20-11 with 9:46 to play before the half, the Blue Raiders went on a 7-0 run sparked by four consecutive free throws from Claire Fleming, capped off by a Guess three, cutting the deficit to 20-18. William Carey pushed the lead back to 24-18 with 3:54 to play, until Shelton found Fleming on the right wing at 3:32, to cash in from downtown for a 24-21 score. Both teams traded buckets for the remainder of the quarter with the Blue Raiders outscoring the Crusaders 16-12 in the second quarter, trailing 30-27 headed into the locker room at the half. 

William Carey came out of the half on a 6-0 run, to extend their lead to 36-27 with 8:11 to play. Fleming drove to the lane, converting on a contested layup, and completed the and-1 with 7:51 to play in the third, cutting the lead to 36-30. The Crusaders went on a 7-2 run that lasted 2:48, until Fleming dished it to Guess behind the arc, finding the bottom of the net for a 43-35 deficit. Guess found herself at the free throw line the next possession, knocking down both, to cut the score to 43-37 with 3:41 to play. With 0:09 on the clock, Lindsey Wilson trailed 51-40 until Fleming drove hard through the lane, drawing a foul to get to the line and knock down two free throws to cut the deficit back down to nine, trailing 51-42 heading into the final ten minutes of play. 

Shelton knocked down a three with 9:21 on the clock to open the scoring for the Blue Raiders, to cut the deficit to 51-45. William Carey went on another 7-0 run that lasted 1:37, which was put to a halt after a pair of Fleming free throws, as the Blue Raiders trailed 58-47 with 7:01 on the clock. Fleming found herself at the line once again after the Crusaders pushed the lead to 60-47, connecting on both for a 60-49 ballgame with 4:52 to play. On back-to-back jumpers from Jarie Thomas, the Blue Raiders cut the lead to single digits at 62-53 with 1:59 to play in the ballgame. Fleming found Brewer for a three with 1:13 on the clock, for a 64-56 deficit. 

Lindsey Wilson went on to fall 70-61 to the Crusaders. Tonight's loss will conclude the Blue Raiders season, finishing 16-14 overall.