LSUS women end season with loss to Campbellsville in NAIA second round

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. (March 14, 2026) – The reigning RRAC regular-season and postseason champion LSU Shreveport suffered a heartbreaking 66-59 loss to Campbellsville (Ky.) (24-7) in the second round of the 2026 Women's Basketball Championship Tournament. Campbellsville, the No. 5-ranked team in the NAIA, will advance to the 45th Annual Women's Basketball National Championships in Sioux City, Iowa, beginning March 19.

 

Despite not being ranked in the NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 poll, the Pilots tallied an NAIA-best 28 wins and ended the 2025-26 season with an overall 28-5 record.

 

LSUS was undefeated in conference at 18-0 through Feb. 12, before losing to North American (Texas). The Pilots lost their second and final conference game a few weeks later, finishing 20-2. The Pilots outscored their conference postseason opponents 227-168.

 

The Pilots leave the 2025-26 season as the most dominant team in the RRAC: 7-of-16 offensive players of the week, 5-of-16 defensive players of the week, Player, Defensive Player, Newcomer, and Coach of the Year awards, five All-Conference winners, Tournament MVP, and three All-Tournament players. All these factors, plus a Champions of Character mentality enforced by Head Coach Tim Hays, who celebrated his 400th win this year, will result in many more successes in the future.

 

LSUS starters Toni Coleman, Selma Markisic, Paula Gonzalez Herrero, Katie Ambrose, and Ally Fleanor went into high gear in the first quarter. The Lady Tigers put forth a stellar defense, limiting the Pilots' efforts. Herrero made a layup to give the Pilots their first lead of the game at 12-11. LSUS continued to climb to a 17-11 lead through the last seconds of the first quarter. A three from Hallie Allen got the Lady Tigers to be within one at 21-20, and a miss from Kinsley Molden at the buzzer kept the score at 21-20.

 

In the second quarter, the Lady Tigers regained their lead at the 9:19 mark at 22-11. A basket from Ally Fleenor pushed the Pilots back to a 26-25 lead. The teams tied at 28; however, Campbellsville was unstoppable, sinking a jumper with time running out to give the Lady Tigers a 38-32 lead.

 

Campbellsville kept a comfortable lead in the third period, increasing to 44-34. With less than two minutes remaining in the game, the Lady Tigers led 51-42. Three consecutive missed three-pointers from the Pilots sealed the Lady Tigers' 52-42 lead going into the final quarter.

 

Campbellsville had all the deterrents needed to keep the Pilots behind. Despite coming to within six, the Lady Tigers kept their composure to secure the 66-59 victory.

 

 

Four of the five starters for the Pilots scored in double figures: Paula Gonzalez Herrero (16), Ally Fleenor (12), Selma Markisic (11), and Toni Coleman (10). Markisic grabbed a team-leading seven rebounds, while Katie Ambrose tallied five assists, and Coleman added four steals.

 

Campbellsville was led by Hallie Allen, who scored 19 points, Tyra Flower with 14 points, eight rebounds, and three steals, and Lainey Johnson with 12 points.

 

 

LSUS shot 42.4 percent from the field, compared to Campbellsville's 43.1 percent. From the three-point range, LSUS made 28.6 percent, while Campbellsville hit 31 percent. At the free-throw line, LSUS converted 50 percent of its shots, whereas Campbellsville made 72.2 percent. LSUS added 24 rebounds, 17 assists, and 16 steals to their totals, while the Lady Tigers added 27 rebounds, 15 assists, and nine steals.