JACKSON, Tenn. - The Rogers State women's basketball team put forth one of its best defensive efforts of the season while making its NAIA National Tournament debut Wednesday in Jackson, Tenn.
 

However, the Hillcats couldn't muster similar success on offense and their shooting woes were ultimately their undoing as they fell 60-56 to Westminster College at Oman Arena. The loss officially closed the books on a storybook season that featured a school-record 23 wins, a runner-up finish in Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament, and the program's first-ever National Tournament appearance.
 

"I can't fault the effort we gave on the defensive end," Head Coach Amy Williams said. "We were able to dictate the pace of play and disrupt what they wanted to do on offense. We just missed too many shots to win a National Tournament game."
 

The game featured 10 ties while each team claimed the lead on five different occasions. RSU closed the first half on a 7-0 run to take a 27-23 advantage into the locker room. The Cats grew the lead to six on a jumper by Cortney Crockett with 14:51 to play in the second half.
 

Westminster answered with a 7-0 run of its own, capped by a Dana Bates layup to give the Griffins a 35-34 lead. Back-to-back 3-point plays by Crockett and Andrea Miles reclaimed the lead. Westminster refused to wilt as Nicole Yazzie and Brooke Larsen dropped in consecutive buckets. Larsen sparked the Griffins off the bench with a team-high 15 points.
 

Miles pulled the Cats even one last time with a steal and score to knot the score at 48-48 with 4:08 remaining in the contest. Larsen had the answer one more time, drilling a trey from the top of the key on the ensuing possession.
 

Crockett pulled RSU to within one point twice in the final minute, but Westminster hit 5 of 6 free throws in the final 30 seconds to clinch the win. The Griffins connected on 18 of 26 free throws while RSU countered by making just 9 of 19. The Hillcats were held to just one 3-point basket in the contest and shot 33-percent from the floor.
 

Crockett led all scorers with 21 points while Miles chipped in with 12 points and a game-high five steals. The Hillcats forced 19 Westminster turnovers with nine steals. RSU committed just seven turnovers in the game and hauled in 16 offensive rebounds.
 

Westminster won its first round game for the third year in a row while making its fifth consecutive appearance in the NAIA National Tournament. RSU came up just short in its first ever trip to Jackson, Tenn.
 

"I can't say enough about this group of young women, especially the four seniors," Williams said. "They've given so much to this program and have helped us achieve some great things over the past four years."
 

Crockett leaves RSU as the team's leader in scoring and assists in her one season on the Hill. Candice Stewart nearly averaged a double-double in her two seasons at RSU while earning all-conference honors this season. Miles and Hunter Peterson both enjoyed four-year careers as founding members of Hillcat women's basketball program. Miles leaves as the school's all-time leader in steals while Peterson tops the career charts in points and is the program's first member of the 1,000-point club.
 

Rogers State (23-10) knocked off four Top 25 teams during the 2010-11, improving its season win total for the fourth consecutive year. The Hillcats are slated to return six players for the 2011-12 campaign.