WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Gallaudet University women's basketball team couldn't overcome a stretch of cold shooting in the first half despite a career-game from senior forward Lindsay Stergio (Montville, Conn.) here Saturday as the Bison fell to Valley Forge Christian College, 65-47, in the championship game of the GU Holiday Tournament.

The Bison (2-1) trailed 19-16 midway through the first half but their shooters went cold and missed on their next six shots. Valley Forge went on a 10-0 run during that time to expand its lead to 13, before the Patriots ultimately took a 39-22 lead into the break. The Bison rallied in the second half, as they cut the lead to as few as nine, 54-45, with 3:53 to play, but were unable to complete the comeback as the Patriots (3-2) answered back with 11 straight points to put away the Bison for good. 

Stergio led the Bison in all major statistical categories with 22 points, 17 rebounds, three assists and one block. Stergio's efforts led her to being selected to the all-tournament team. Stergio finished the two-day event with 32 points, 22 rebounds and five assists. Sophomore Claire Tucker (Middletown, Md.) reached double digits as the guard came off the bench and scored 11 points on 5-of-11 shooting. No other Bison made more than a single field goal as the team shot just 32.1 percent from the floor.

Coming off a dominant 57-33 win in the first round of the tournament over York (N.Y.) College on Friday afternoon, the Bison struggled to defend the VFCC's perimeter game as the Patriots shot 38.1 percent from beyond the arc, led by senior guard Morgan Godwin who made 7-of-15 attempts to net a game-high 23 points. Godwin was named the tournament's MVP. The tournament champs had three players in double figures and nearly had a fourth as senior guards Amanda Reich (10 rebounds) and Aliyah Carr scored 16 and 12 points, respectively, and senior forward Amanda Compton finished with nine and five rebounds. Reich and Compton join Godwin on the all-tournament team.

Wesley College defeated York (N.Y.) College, 56-30, in the consolation game earlier in the day.

The Bison will have several weeks to regroup from the loss as their next game is Friday, Dec. 7, on the road against Penn St.-Berks at 6 p.m. That game will be the North Eastern Athletic Conference opener for the Bison.

GU HOLIDAY ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Gallaudet: Lindsay Stergio
Valley Forge Christian: Morgan Godwin (MVP), Amanda Compton, Amanda Reich
Wesley: Jazmine Miller
York (N.Y.): Stayce Kay Muirhead