LANCASTER, Calif. - The Cal Pac Championships semifinal game lived up to its hype as a very competitive and tight contest between the top seed Embry-Riddle Eagles and the Simpson Red Hawks. Despite multiple Red Hawks' runs, Embry-Riddle's consistency offensively was too much for Simpson in the 81-71 loss.

After trailing by as much as 15 in the first half, the Red Hawks clawed their way back to cut it to 10 at the half and then to tie the game in the 3rd quarter. But Embry-Riddle's intensity grew as the game reached the final stretch and the Eagles ran away with the lead in the final four minutes of the game.

On a career-night for senior guard, Estella Gutierrez, the Red Hawks' Cal Pac Championship run fell short. Gutierrez tallied a career-high 31 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists on a night that ended up being her final collegiate game of her career. This was also  the final career game for Mariah Mendez-Oliver, Olivia Edwards, Madison Cox, and Shayla Smothers as they will be graduating in the spring.

Even though, the Red Hawks season didn't end the way Coach Derrick Pringle and his team wanted it to, overall it was still a very successful year for Simpson. SU won 18 games, the most in the Coach Pringle era and the most since the 2002 season. Lots of positivity surrounds the women's basketball program as it continues to grow and improve year after year.