SIOUX CITY, Iowa -- No. 7-seed Ashford (Iowa) put No. 2-seed Indiana Wesleyan University into an early hole that they were unable to dig out of in a 66-50 loss in the 2015 NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball National Championship First Round in Sioux City, Iowa.

“It’s disappointing,” said Wildcat head coach Steve Brooks. “We had an opportunity and we didn’t take advantage of it. I knew this was going to be a difficult game but I did not expect this.”

The loss is only the second for Indiana Wesleyan in the First Round of the national championship. IWU has advanced to the national tournament 13 consecutive seasons. Indiana Wesleyan is now 24-11 all-time at the national tournament.

In a very unexpected start to the game Ashford scored the first seven points of the game and led 24-2 at the midway point of the opening half.

“They hit shots early on,” stated Brooks. “They hit a lot in a row and then banked in a 3-pointer. It took the wind out of us.”

Late in the half the Wildcats made a small run to cut the deficit to 12 points at 31-19 on two Val Sohasky (SR/Sylvania, Ohio) free throws with 3:01 on the clock. But 15 seconds later the Saints responded with a bucket in the paint. That basket ignited a 7-0 run to close out the half as the Saints doubled up the Wildcats 38-19 at halftime.

Indiana Wesleyan found a second wind to begin the second half as they scored the first 12 points. IWU held Ashford scoreless for the first six and a half minutes of the second half to close to seven points at 38-31. But Sarah Vozel knocked down the first Ashford field goal of the second half with 13:32 left to ignite a 12-3 AU run.

“We cut the lead to seven points in the second half and had momentum,” said Brooks. “But we gave up an offensive rebound put back and we never really recovered from that point.”

Ashford led 50-34 at that point and had to withstand one last Indiana Wesleyan run. Tori Kraft (JR/Harbor Beach, Mich.) entered the game and sparked Indiana Wesleyan with a pair of 3-point baskets within 35 seconds of each other to close the deficit to 54-44 at the six minute mark. But Indiana Wesleyan could get no closer the rest of the way as Ashford pulled off the upset.

The Wildcats failed to shoot well on Thursday and were beaten on the glass. IWU shot a season low 33.3-percent (17 of 51) from the field and had their second worst performance from beyond the arc at 12.5-percent on 2-of-16 shooting. IWU leads the nation in 3-point field goal percentage at 38.9-percent. IWU was outrebounded by 15 (42 to 27) and there were 14 offensive rebounds for Ashford that led to 17 seconds chance points.

“We got outrebounded but we shot the ball horribly,” said Brooks. “We were 17-of-51. We shot the ball horribly. We got shots but we missed shots. That is going to give them a chance to rebound the ball.”

Erika Isham (SR/Tekonsha, Mich.) led Indiana Wesleyan with 13 points and 5 rebounds while Emma Stahl (SR/Elkhart, Ind.) added 12 points. Katrina Blackmon (SR/Marion, Ind.) and Tori Kraft each contributed eight points.

The Indiana Wesleyan season comes to a close with a 27-6 record. Indiana Wesleyan won the Crossroads League regular season championship and made their 13th consecutive trip to the NAIA Division II National Championship. Ashford advances to the NAIA Sweet 16 and will face either Hastings (Neb.) or Rio Grande (Ohio).