GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Lawrence Tech cut a double-digit deficit to five in the final minute but came up just short in a 67-60 loss to Cornerstone (MI) on Saturday afternoon at Mol Arena.

Trailing 65-56 in the final minute, the Blue Devils mounted one last push behind late buckets from Paetyn Miller and Liv Linden. Miller knocked down a jumper to make it 65-58 with 36 seconds remaining, and Linden followed with a layup to trim the margin to 65-60 with 25 seconds left. Cornerstone, however, closed it out at the line as Gracie Gortmaker calmly sank two free throws with 20 seconds to play for the game's final points.

Lawrence Tech battled back multiple times after Cornerstone built early control. The Golden Eagles led 15-9 after the first quarter, but the Blue Devils used perimeter shooting to climb back into it in the second. Miller hit a 3-pointer to bring Lawrence Tech within 17-12, then Abby Rey buried a 3 from the wing to tie the game at 19-19 with 7:12 left in the half. Cornerstone responded with a decisive surge, using a pair of Jaxi Long jumpers, including a basket in the final seconds, to take a 40-31 lead into halftime.

The Blue Devils again faced an uphill climb early in the third quarter as Cornerstone quickly stretched its advantage. A 3-pointer from Maddie Schuur and a layup by Julie Ashbaugh pushed the margin to 45-33 with 8:43 remaining in the period. Lawrence Tech steadied on both ends, holding Cornerstone to 14 points in the quarter and trimming the deficit to 54-46 heading into the fourth, setting up a competitive final 10 minutes.

In the fourth quarter, Lawrence Tech's defense worked to keep the game within reach, but Cornerstone repeatedly answered key Blue Devil baskets. After the hosts moved ahead 56-46 on a Gortmaker layup with 8:55 remaining, Lawrence Tech continued to chip away behind efficient scoring from its backcourt and timely stops. The Blue Devils forced 14 turnovers for the game and limited Cornerstone to 40.0 percent shooting overall, but the Golden Eagles' 22-11 edge in assists and 12-6 advantage in steals helped tilt the possession battle.

LaChelle Moreland-Jones led Lawrence Tech with 14 points on 7-for-11 shooting, adding six rebounds and three assists in a balanced effort. Linden provided 13 points, two rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes, while Miller delivered a pair of key 3-pointers to spark the Blue Devils' first-half runs. As a team, Lawrence Tech shot 41.8 percent from the field (23-for-55) and 22.2 percent from 3-point range (6-for-27), but missed opportunities at the free-throw line (8-for-15) loomed large in a seven-point game.

Cornerstone was led by Ashbaugh's 19 points and eight rebounds and Long's 18 points and seven assists, with Gortmaker adding 15 points and six assists. The Golden Eagles finished 24-for-60 from the floor and 15-for-20 at the stripe, using their efficiency at the line and slight 37-35 rebounding edge to maintain control after building their first-half cushion. The Blue Devils will be back in action next Wednesday as they travel to Siena Heights University for another WHAC conference showdown.