ESCONDITO, Calif. - The women's basketball team dropped a 56-59 thriller to the Firebirds to end the regular season this afternoon. 

The first points of the game belonged to Tessa Kinney on a layup in the paint to give Simpson the early lead. 

But the Firebirds reclaimed the lead and never gave it back in the first quarter. 

A jumper by Rory Hetrick helped cut into the early deficit to end the first quarter in favor of a 16-11 Firebirds lead.

St. Kats grew its lead to nine points to open the second quarter before a layup by Hetrick pulled Simpson back within seven points. 

Simpson cut the Firebird's lead to two points midway through the second quarter after a Rachel Gafford layup. 

An Anna Marshall three-pointer closed out the first half for Simpson as they went into the break facing a 31-36 deficit. 

Marshall struck again with another three-ball to open the second half of play to pull Simpson within two points before a layup by Hetrick tied the game at 36. 

Simpson dominated the third quarter as they outscored St. Kat 18-3. 

Hetrick , Marshall, and Gafford proved to be a lethal three-headed monster in the third quarter as they accounted for all 18 points. 

Simpson now held a 49-39 lead as they headed into the fourth quarter. 

However, the Firebirds flipped the script and outscored Simpson 20-7. A 4-0 St. Kat run to end the fourth quarter helped them seal the 59-56 victory. 

Anna Marshall and Rory Hetrick had a team-high 15 points each with a combined 15 rebounds. 

With the loss, Simpson looks to be the fifth seed as they get ready for the Cal Pac Tournament that is set to begin March 2nd-5th in Merced, CA.