PITTSBURG, Kan. - The Lincoln women's basketball team remained within striking distance for most of the evening, but a late run in the fourth quarter helped Pittsburg State gain a 54-41 win over the Blue Tigers on Wednesday (Feb. 26).

Virja Lewis led Lincoln with 16 points and pulled down four rebounds, and Natasha Elliott added eight points and two boards. Vivian Chigbu grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds, scored six points and dished three assists to go with a block and a steal. Kiara Shoulders, meanwhile, provided eight boards and four assists.

The first half was a defensive tussle, with the Gorillas managing to eke out a 13-10 lead through 10 minutes of play. The defenses remained staunch in the second period, as Lincoln (3-24, 0-18 MIAA) held Pittsburg State (17-9, 13-5 MIAA) to just seven points to enter halftime down just 20-16.

Pittsburg State led by as many as 10 in the third quarter, but the Blue Tigers pulled back to within three on a pair of free throws by Chigbu with 8:17 remaining. After another brief run by the Gorillas, Alecia Gulledge hit a jumper to make it a 44-39 contest entering the final five minutes. Gulledge additionally collected six rebounds for LU.

That ended up being as close as Lincoln would get to completing the rally, as Pittsburg State ended the game on a 10-2 run to seal the win. The Blue Tigers limited the Gorillas to just .275 shooting on the evening, with PSU hitting less than 25-percent of its tries from three-point land. LU held a slim 41-40 advantage on the glass, but committed 18 turnovers while forcing 12 from the Gorillas.

Kaloni Pryear dished a team-high five assists and scored six points to go with a pair of steals and two rebounds. Natasha Dolinsky finished with three points, three boards and three assists, and made one of LU's five treys on the night.

Lincoln will close the 2019-20 season on Saturday (Feb. 29) in Joplin, Mo. as the Blue Tigers play Missouri Southern at 1:30 p.m. CST.