UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio -  The TCNJ women's basketball team made its return to the NCAA Tournament with a First Round matchup against John Carroll Friday night, falling 84-49 to the 11th-ranked Blue Streaks. The loss brings an end to the Lions' 2025-26 season with a record of 17-11 and the program's first appearance in the Big Dance since 2017-18.
 
Katie Fricker finished with a team-high 13 points in her final game in a TCNJ uniform – followed closely by Riley Ahrens' 12 off the bench – while Grace Kowalski posted team-best marks in rebounds (6), assists (2) and steals (3).
 
TCNJ found itself in an 11-0 hole early in Friday's contest before Ahrens finally got the Lions on the board with a driving layup at the 6:31 mark. John Carroll ballooned its lead to 14 with 2:38 to go in the opening frame, but it was TCNJ converting on a pair of Fricker triples as well as a Kowalski middy to end the first on an 8-4 run to trim the deficit back to 10 at 22-12.
 
Fricker struck again with a steal and score to start the second, but the Lions were held without a basket over the next 8:10 of the frame while the Blue Streaks built their advantage to 21 (35-14). Brooke McFadden ended the drought with a layup and triple on consecutive possessions in an attempt to give TCNJ some momentum at the break, but it was John Carroll beating the buzzer on the other end to send the Lions into halftime down 39-19.
 
The hosts caught fire from deep to start the second to all but put the game out of reach, hitting from beyond the arc on four of their first five possessions to take a commanding 53-23 before a Fricker and-one momentarily stopped the bleeding. TCNJ would get within 29 on three occasions over the final 15 minutes but never closer, with a Myah Hourigan-Hutton and-one serving as the game's final points in the 84-49 defeat.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Lions were held to 27.1 percent (19-of-70) from the field, 22.2 percent (6-of-27) from beyond the arc and just 71.4 percent (5-of-7) at the charity stripe.
• John Carroll shot a scorching 58.6 percent (34-of-58) from the floor, 39.1 percent (9-of-23) from deep and 70 percent (7-of-10) at the free throw line.
• The Blue Streaks held a 44-20 edge on the glass – TCNJ's second-worst margin of the season.
• The Lions converted 14 John Carroll turnovers into 12 points on the other end.

STANDOUT LIONS

• Fricker finished with 13 points, five rebounds and a steal in her final collegiate game.
• Ahrens added 12 points, three rebounds and two steals off the bench.

FOR THE FOES

• Ava Ryncarz posted a monster, 17-point, 19-rebound double-double.
• Kaylie McKenney (19) and Graci Semptimphelter (18) joined her in double figures.

NOTES

• Fricker finishes her career ranked 13th on TCNJ's all-time rebounds list (560) and hit her 100th career 3-pointer in the game.
• McFadden's 236 rebounds this year are the 10th-most in a single season in program history.
• Amanda Baylock finished with 69 3-pointers in 2025-26, the sixth-most in a single season in program history.