ALLEN, Texas (March 1, 2012) — Cameron lost 61-57 in a battle against Angelo State Thursday night in LSC Quarterfinal action, despite Julie Paunovic setting a school playoff record with 27 points in the game.

“This is really tough,” said Head Coach Tom Webb “You know, we go up 10 in the first half. We just didn’t execute down the stretch. A lot of that’s me. I just didn’t call the right plays . You have to get these girls (Sabelle Diata and Julie Paunovic) the ball.”

“We’ve been watching great basketball for two days now. We’ve seen a lot of runs. Good teams make runs. I wasn’t really concerned about that (Angelo’s run), as much as getting ball in right places (for our offense to run).”

Paunovic set the tone early in the first half for Cameron, as she scored nine of CU’s first 11 points. The teams were knotted at 13 with just under 13 minutes to play, but the Aggies would go on to outscore the Belles 18-8 over the final 12 minutes to carry a 10 point lead into the locker room. CU shot 43.3 percent in the first half on 13-30 shooting, while holding ASU to 33.3 percent on 8-24 shooting. Paunovic finished the game with a school playoff record 27 points, while also tying the school record for made FGs with 10. Paunovic also set the record for free throw attempts with 11, breaking the previous record of six.

“I just tried to get down to the post,” Paunovic said. “There were a couple of mismatch issues. But down the stretch, that doesn’t matter. We didn’t make free throws. I feel like that was a crucial part of the game that cost us the game.”

Cameron did have its opportunities late with the previously mentioned free throws, as the Black and Gold was unable to convert on a number of attempts in the final minutes. As a team, CU finished 13-23 (56.5%).

“That’s been us (missing free throws) all year,” Webb said. “To be honest, we have to battle around that. Some of that is ball going the wrong way … some is fatigue. Sabelle (Diata) played 36 tonight, Nicole (Pendarvis) played 37 minutes. At the end of the day, it’s important, but if we make plays down the stretch none of that matters.”

The Belles came out and had great success against Cameron’s top 20 defense, shooting 51.9 percent in the second half. Cameron, meanwhile, struggled in the second half, finishing 8-28 for 28.6 percent. The Belles used a 12-3 run during a four-minute stretch in the second half to put them back into the game. But Cameron continued to battle, leading until the final three minutes of the game. However, in the end Cameron failed to make its shots, as two three pointers within the final minute by Jordan Kauk and Alexis Williams were off target.

Even in the loss, the Aggies continued to rewrite the record book during its phenomenal 15-11 season, including a school record 11 conference wins to 10 losses. Nicole Pendarvis finished the game with 10 assists put herself as the best single-season passer in CU history with 144 assists. The 10 assists also set a single game playoff record for the Black and Gold. Alexis Williams’ four steals also set a new playoff mark for Cameron.

Newly minted LSC Player of the Year, Sabelle Diata, also had a tremendous game, finishing with 12 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks. Her five blocks are a single game school playoff record, breaking the previous mark of four set by Signy Hermansdottir against Midwestern in 2002.

“I give all thanks to God,” Diata said. “He allowed me to go on and play this season. I didn’t have many injuries. I could play with my teammates. We had a great season. We really did well. I’m proud of my teammates, and I really love to play with this team. I have great teammates and great coaches. Even though we lost, it will help us to grow. This sets the table for the ones (players) that are coming next season.”

Looking back, Webb said he could not be prouder of his team or his three seniors (Nicole Pendarvis, Julie Paunovic and Sabelle Diata).

“This group has been really good all year,” he said. “We’ve really fought. They are a great team … they care about each other. That’s a direct reflection on them as individuals. I will miss those three seniors ... they are great kids. I want my 2-year old son, Jackson, to be around good people. I can bring him to practice and don’t have to worry about a thing. That’s a because of this team and people they are. I don’t even want to think about recruiting … you can’t replace them (these seniors) on or off the court. I’ll never forget this team and this season.”

For more information on the tournament, go to www.lonestarconference.org.