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ST. LOUIS, Mo.-  The UIndy women's basketball team (17-13) finished on the short end of a nail-biting 71-68 final in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament championship game Sunday.  The Lewis Flyers cut down the nets in Maloney Arena after capturing their second GLVC title in five years.

UIndy made its deepest GLVC Tourney run since 2005 and came just short of its first conference title in eight years.  The Hounds defeated three higher-seeded teams on their march to Sunday's final, including top-seeded and 13th-ranked Quincy.

“I am very proud of our players for their effort and determination throughout the tournament,” said UIndy Head Coach LeAnn Freeland.  “We certainly peaked at the right time.  It's a painful loss for us, but it was a great experience for our team, especially our young players."

Wearing white jerseys for the first time in the tournament, UIndy initially struggled on the defensive glass, as the Flyers used a bounty of offensive rebounds to maintain control throughout the first half.  Lewis amassed 12 second-chance points in the first 20 minutes, compared to zero by the Hounds.

Nevertheless, UIndy kept it close by limiting turnovers and hitting long jump shots.  Lewis primarily gave UIndy a 3-2 zone look, allowing the Hounds to find openings from behind the arc.  Heather Gonser especially benefitted, knocking down a trio of baseline 3-pointers in the first half alone.

LU (15-15) led by as many as nine in the first half, earning a 23-14 advantage at the 9:22 mark, but the Greyhounds outscored the Flyers 19-11 to end the period and trailed by just one point at halftime.

Out of the break,  LU senior Jenny Turpel, who sat the final six minutes of the first with two fouls, came out determined, leading the Flyers on a 12-5 run to start the second half.

Consequently, Lewis led by eight with 11 minutes to go, but UIndy slowly cut into the margin.  The Greyhounds defense held the Flyers without a field goal for five minutes, helping fuel a 12-2 run to give the Hounds a brief one-point lead.  Freshman Shelby Wall capped the rally with a deep 3-pointer to make it 56-55 UIndy.

Lewis surged ahead again, however, earning a 65-60 edge with three minutes remaining.  Turpel led the way by scoring six straight points for the unwavering Flyers.

“Turpel was a force inside,” said Freeland of the tourney's M.V.P.  “We had no answer for her.  Lewis was just a little more determined today and they earned the win.”

The Hounds fought tooth and nail, but could not quite catch the opposition.  Wall managed a conventional three-point play down the stretch and later sank a triple with 12 seconds left to pull the Greyhounds within one at 69-68.

Kady Currin followed with two made throws for Lewis, putting the margin at three and giving UIndy a chance in the game's final possession.

With seven seconds left, sophomore Kristin Turner drove the length of the court and got off a contested three, but the shot fell short as the Flyers escaped with the win.

Lewis, who entered the tournament as the No. 9 seed, became the lowest-seeded team ever to win the GLVC Women's Tournament.  Both teams pulled off three straight upsets to get to the finals, with the Flyers bouncing the No. 2, three and four seeds before Sunday afternoon.

Gonser had an impressive tournament for UIndy, averaging 19.8 points and 3.3 steals in four games.  She set a new league mark for 3-pointers in a GLVC Tournament (18), on the way to being named to the all-tourney team.

Turner finished with 10 points and eight assists and also garnered all-tournament honors.   Wall scored 14 points, including 11 in the second half.  Diana Jovanovic grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, while Katy McIntosh had nine points and two steals.

With the Hounds not appearing in the most recent regional rankings, Sunday's loss could mark the end of the Greyhounds' season.  The Hounds can only hope their three tournament wins sway the Midwest Regional Advisory Committee to move them into the region's top eight teams.  The complete NCAA Division II Tournament field will be announced later tonight via webcast at NCAA.com.  The women's selection show is scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. EST.

Pending the outcome tonight's selection show, Sunday could mark the last collegiate game for Katie Lyons, UIndy's lone senior.  The all-conference performer ranks third on the program's list of career field goal accuracy, sixth in games played, 10th in blocked shots and 15th in free throws made.  She is on pace to  go down as one of only two women to shoot over 50 percent from the floor in each of her four seasons at UIndy.  In addition, the Hounds went a combined 89-35 (.718) in her time at Indianapolis, good for the second-winningest four-year span in program history.

“It's highly unlikely we will get a bid into the NCAA Tournament, so I know this loss is very disappointing for Katie," said Freeland.  "She had a great career at UIndy.”