KANSAS CITY, Mo. --- The season came to a bitter end on Thursday for the No. 7 Washburn women's basketball team as it fell to No. 2 Pittsburg State, 71-63, in the quarterfinal round of the MIAA Tournament played at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.

Turnovers proved to be the difference as the Gorillas (23-6) paced Washburn (20-10), 24-9, in turnover points as the Ichabods conceded possession 17 times.

A slow start saw Washburn trail by as much as eight during the opening period before it cut the difference in half with a 4-0 spurt to make it 19-15.

Trailing 20-15 to begin the second, the Ichabods found their rhythm as Hunter Bentley sparked an 8-0 run pushing Washburn out front 25-23 with 4:11 left in quarter. A Pitt State three-pointer briefly saw the Ichabods trail before they closed the half on a 8-2 run taking a 33-28 lead into the locker room. 

Despite the early deficit, the Ichabods performed well at both ends of the court during the opening 20 minutes as they completed 7-of-12 shots in the first with 8-of-13 during the second for a combined 15-of-25. Meanwhile on the defensive end, Washburn limited Pitt State to 9-of-23 shooting for the half including a game-low 3-for-14 in the second. 

Axelle Bernard led the charge for WU during the opening half netting 15 of a career-high 25 points, while posting three blocks. Bernard finished they with five blocks, one shy of a school single-game MIAA Tournament mark. 

In the third, three-pointers reigned supreme as the teams combined for nine attempts from the behind the arc during the opening five minutes of period. The Gorillas however were a bit efficient with long ball as they converted 4-of-5 from deep cutting the Ichabod margin to 43-42 with 5:11 left in the quarter. 

However, consecutive buckets from Bernard and Reagan Phelan kept Washburn in the driver's seat at 48-42. The margin again was sliced to two late into the third as the Gorillas converted 6-of-6 from the line during the final four minutes.

Washburn pushed its advantage to seven with 8:02 left in the fourth as layups from Phelan and Bernard gave the Ichabods a 56-49 lead. Three WU turnovers before the media timeout midway through the period, spelled disaster resulting in a 10-0 run for the Gorillas. 

Now trailing 59-56, Washburn pulled within one at the 4:48 mark, but that was the closest it get as the Gorillas closed the game on a 12-5 run. 

Phelan finished with 15 points and three assists, while Alexis McAfee chipped in with eight points, six rebounds and two steals. Bernard had a team-best eight boards and finished the season, and her career, with a Washburn single-season best 67 blocks. 

Collectively, the Ichabods converted 28 of 52 from the field, three of 15 from deep, and four of eight from the line, while PSU was 21 of 55 shooting with 14 of 33 outside the arc, and 15 of 19 from the line. Washburn won the rebound battle, 34-28, and outscored Pitt State in the paint, 48-12.

The Ichabods finish the season with their best record since 2013-14 and made their first appearance in the MIAA quarterfinals in five seasons.