WARRIORS' SEASON COMES TO END AT CORNERSTONE

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Warriors' (14-15) 2023-24 season concluded at Mol Arena against Cornerstone (16-12) in the WHAC Tournament Quarterfinal. Rochester jumped out to a 14-point lead by halftime but couldn't sustain it as the Golden Eagles roared back in a hard-fought contest.

Shahd Bakkar led Rochester with a career-high 19 points and three steals, while Celeste Mershimer nearly posted a triple-double with 18 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists. Jacey Somers also had a big game, recording 16 points and seven rebounds. Golden Eagle center Stephanie Ainsworth led Cornerstone with 22 points and 11 rebounds.

THE RUNDOWN

FIRST HALF

• Bakkar immediately picked things up, knocking down a deep three to get the Warrior offense rolling. Shortly after, Mershimer corralled her own miss to set up Somers for an open layup. The Golden Eagles were forced into a timeout after two more layups by Bakkar and Melanie Moore. That didn't cool off Bakkar and Somers, who hit threes to keep Rochester up
• The second quarter started out the same way the first did, this time with Somers hitting a three. After an answer from the hosts, Riley Place followed up with a three to keep Rochester up double-digits. A brief run from the Golden Eagles was halted again by the Warrior freshmen, as Bakkar and Somers made great offensive plays to find layups. Mershimer, who was instrumental in setting up the Warrior offense, beat the buzzer with a layup

SECOND HALF

• Mershimer and Somers started the Warriors off strong to begin the third, but the Golden Eagles began to find life on offense, creeping back into the game. Mershimer scored an emphatic and-one to keep Rochester ahead, but the Golden Eagles got a steal and scored to bring the game within one possession. Off the bench, forward Ashley Loon snatched back momentum for the Warriors, swiping the ball to get an easy layup before draining a three to get the Warriors up eight
• The Golden Eagles wouldn't be denied to start the fourth, tying the game on a 6-0 run to force a Warrior timeout. Out of the break, Mershimer knocked down a massive three to regain the lead before Bakkar hit a layup to keep the Warriors up. However, the Golden Eagles executed their offensive sets to retake the lead in front of a raucous home crowd
• Mershimer tied things up with a coast-to-coast bucket, and both teams remained scoreless for the next two minutes before Cornerstone took the lead on free throws. Sadly for Rochester, buckets just wouldn't go down, allowing the Golden Eagles to end the game on free throws

STAT OF THE GAME

Bakkar and Somers' point totals combine for the most by a true freshman duo in the WHAC Playoffs in Warrior history.

POSTGAME PRESSER

Head Coach Jared Ocampo had this to say about his freshmen's performances:

"I think there's no question the future is bright for our program. Shahd and Jacey are two freshmen who were given a load of responsibilities and went out and gave it their all. Celeste made it all possible. Her leadership and her passion for this team and the game have allowed players like Jacey and Shahd to grow into their own.

This program suffers a big loss in Celeste's graduation, and we will miss her a lot, but I have no doubt in my mind that we have a group of young women who will learn from this year and utilize the experience to get better. I am confident that we will be back."

UP NEXT

The Warriors will begin the offseason and prepare for the 2024-25 season. The Warriors will have a talented returning class and multiple recruits ready to contribute.

Hussein Murray - RU Athletic Communications

Featured Image: Hanna Swanson - RU Athletics