DENTON, Texas (March 17, 2026) - An incredible journey by an incredible team has ended where it began at Kitty Magee Arena, as Texas Woman's basketball fell tonight in the South Central Regional championship round to the third ranked Colorado Mesa Mavericks by a score of 65-64.

TWU (31-2, 20-0) held a 16-13 lead over CMU (36-1, 20-0) after the opening period, but the Mavericks, the fourth ranked team the Pioneers faced this season, proved to be among their toughest competition by taking a 33-30 lead into the half followed by opening up a double-digit lead in the third period. TWU would not let the season end early though, as key plays in the game's final minute led to a one-point deficit, but the host team was unable to convert the final play of the game.

The Pioneers end the 2025-26 season with a 31-2 record, and swept Lone Star Conference play for the first time in program history, winning all 20 contests. TWU achieved another first as well with a 13-0 road record, and set a new program record with 30 straight wins. Three 1,000 career point scorers occupied spots on the active roster, with Averee Kleinhans, Gabby Elliott and Jada Celsur each achieving the feat this season.

IMPACT PLAYERS

• Jada Celsur led the team in scoring with 19 points, serving as the team's sparkplug tonight by setting season highs in field goal attempts (23) and 3-point attempts (8). The senior tallied four rebounds, including three on defense, along with one block and a pair of steals.

• Madi Lumsden recorded 16 points in the effort, including making all six free throw attempts; the second time this season the junior sank all six to match her season high. Lumsden added a pair of rebounds, one block and one steal to the stat sheet as well.

• Gabby Elliott added 12 points in the game, making five field goals and sinking both free throw attempts. The senior added six rebounds, all on defense, along with one block and two steals.

• Averee Kleinhans tallied 11 points tonight, sinking a pair of 3-pointers and making five of six free throw attempts. The senior added eight rebounds, with seven on defense, along with one steal.

PIONEER POWER MOMENTS

• Kleinhans was quick to open the game's scoring, sinking a 3-pointer just nine seconds in. The Mavericks, however, responded with a 3-pointer of their own to tie it just 20 seconds later, setting the stage for the high-octane affair. CMU gained its first lead of the game following another 3-pointer and a pair of free throws, making the score 8-5 with 6:28 on the clock, but the Pioneers would regain the lead with a 7-0 rally of their own, becoming the first team to reach double digits at 12-8 with over four minutes remaining. The Mavericks would draw within one before the end of the first, but TWU maintained a 16-13 lead heading into the second.

• CMU opened the second with a layup to draw within one, followed by another to take a one-point lead at 17-16 with 8:44 on the clock. The Pioneers responded with a pair of Kleinhans free throws and an Avery McConnell layup to regain the lead. Most of the second period featured back-and-forth play, with three more lead changes and neither team leading by more than five. The Mavericks, however, benefited from a 7-0 scoring run late in the period, eventually taking a 33-30 lead into halftime.

• The Mavericks opened the scoring in the third period as well, this time with a 3-pointer to increase their lead to six at 36-30 just 10 seconds in. After further increasing their lead to eight, a Kleinhans 3-pointer and a pair of Lumsden free throws brought the deficit back down to five at 42-37 with 5:30 remaining. CMU, however, ended the period on a 7-0 run, opening up a double-digit lead as the Pioneers faced a 12-point deficit, trailing 51-39 heading into the fourth.

• The fourth period began in TWU's favor with a pair of Lumsden free throws and a Celsur layup, cutting the deficit back down to eight at 51-43 with 8:40 on the clock. The Mavericks remained one step ahead through most of the period; however, the crowd stayed electric with timely baskets, particularly a pair of Celsur 3-pointers about a minute and a half apart, the second of which cut the deficit to four at 55-51 with 6:21 remaining. A third Celsur 3-pointer with 2:14 remaining set in motion an intense finish, as the shot was followed by key turnovers leading to an Elliott layup and Lumsden jumper to make it a one-point game with 34 seconds remaining. Another key turnover gave the Pioneers the ball with a chance for last-second heroics, but a blocked shot sealed their fate. TWU charged one final time in the fourth, outscoring the Mavericks 25-14 in the final frame, but it was not enough to prevent it from being the final frame of the season.

-PIONEERS-