MONTICELLO, Ark. — Southern Nazarene closed out the regular season with a 75-70 loss on the road to Arkansas-Monticello on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Crimson Storm needed a victory inside the Steelman Fieldhouse to lock up the number two seed in the Great American Conference Tournament next week, but couldn't get much to fall down the stretch in the fourth quarter in Monticello. With the SNU loss and a victory from East Central, the Storm finishes the regular season in third place, which is still their highest finish in the GAC since joining NCAA Division II. They wrap up the regular season with a 16-12 record and a 15-7 record in the GAC.
 
The Blossoms were red-hot all afternoon, finishing the game shooting 56 percent from the floor and 50 percent from behind the three-point arc. Southern Nazarene also had a great day on the offensive side, shooting 53 percent and knocking down 5-of-12 (42%) of its attempts from downtown. Both teams turned the ball over 17 times and UAM won the rebounding battle 24-23.
 
SNU had four players finish in double-figure scoring as Sonia Sarda led the way for the Storm with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting and converting 2-of-3 shots from three-point range. She also added a team-high five assists in the game as well. Madeline Schroepfer scored 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting and Adrienne Berry finished with 12 points and two rebounds.
 
Abby Niehues added 10 points and two rebounds while Jaycee Soap and Massey Beard each chipped in seven points off the Storm bench.
 
Both teams came out red hot in the opening period, as Southern Nazarene and Arkansas-Monticello each shot 66 percent from the floor. Niehues scored eight of her 10 points in the first quarter as the Storm took a 24-21 lead into the second.
 
SNU jumped out on a 13-5 run to open the second as they pushed their lead to double digits at 37-27, before the Blossoms were able to slow down the offensive attack from the Storm. They cut the lead to 37-32 with 1:30 to play, and later cut it to 38-37 before Massey Beard's buzzer beating layup gave the Storm a 40-37 lead heading into halftime.
 
The hot shooting continued into the third for both sides as Southern Nazarene shot 54 percent and UAM posted a 50 percent clip. The Blossoms were able to take their first lead of the game at 53-49, before Berry poured in eight points in the quarter to give SNU a 59-55 lead heading into the final frame.
 
SNU knew that closing out Monticello on their home floor was going to be tough, as the Blossoms buried a three-pointer to take a 67-64 lead midway through the fourth. The Storm went cold at the worst possible time, as they shot just 33 percent in the final period as UAM took a 73-70 lead with just 12 seconds to play. After a great play design for an open three-pointer look for Soap, it didn't fall as the Blossoms took the victory.
 
Southern Nazarene will enter the GAC Championships next weekend as the number three seed and will take on number six seed Southeastern Oklahoma State on Friday afternoon in Bartlesville at 2:15 p.m.