CLEVELAND, Tenn. -- Multiple second-half runs from the Bluefield College women's basketball team didn't prove to be enough, Thursday evening, as Tennessee Temple University fended off the Lady Rams 65-64 in National Christian College Athletic Association Mid-East Regional action at Paul Dana Walker Arena.

Bluefield finishes its season at 15-16 with the defeat, while the Lady Crusaders move to 15-15 and advance to face host Lee University for a trip to the NCCAA National Championships on the line.

Maryah Mazyck paced Bluefield with 14 points and Whitney Smith tossed in 11 more. Sharonda Tate chipped in nine points, and tallied a team-high 11 rebounds. Destiny Tolliver, who played just the second half, scored eight points and had seven rebounds.

The Lady Crusaders placed four players in double-digits, led by 17 from Bree Smith. Angel Foster added 16, while Kristiana Purvis and Amanda Rector tallied 14 and 11, respectively, on the night. Foster had a game high 12 rebounds for the double-double.

Bluefield trailed by eight points, 56-48, with 7:41 remaining, before piecing together 10-straight points. Triples from both Smith and Jade McDaniel ignited the run, while the next four points came at the charity stripe with Mazyck and Tolliver each converting a pair. Tolliver's free throws closed the three-and-a-half minute rally and gave Bluefield the 58-56 edge with 3:45 to play.

But, just as it had done the previous two times BC claimed the lead in the second half, Tennessee Temple had an answer. This time it was a 7-0 stretch, making it a 63-58 ball game with 1:42 remaining.

A three-point play from Smith pulled Bluefield to 63-61 with 1:18 remaining.

Rector then hit one-of-two free throws with a minute remaining, keeping it a one possession game.

Bluefield couldn't convert on its next possession, but was able to force a turnover. Tolliver snagged a missed three-point attempt and made a lay-in with 13 ticks left, but it was waved off on an offensive foul call.

Bree Smith then hit a crucial free throw with 11 seconds remaining to make it a four-point game.

McDaniel knocked down a three as time expired for the 65-64 final.

Bluefield trailed by as many as 11 in the first half, but closed the final 6:32 on a 12-4 run and went into the locker room trailing by three, 31-28.

After Tennessee Temple pushed its lead back to seven with the first two hoops after intermission, Bluefield made its first charge of the second half. Tolliver bookended a 10-2 run with jumpers, while Tate added four more and Mazyck two to help BC reclaim the lead, 38-37, for the first time since a 13-12 advantage in the first half.

The Lady Crusaders responded with a 9-0 run of their own, only to see BC reel off eight-straight to square the game at 46-all with 12:07 to play.

The game of runs and exchange of momentum continued though, with TTU pushing its lead back up to eight points with a 10-2 rally. BC made its final charge of 10-straight points, but TTU was able to survive and advance.

Bluefield finished 33% (20-for-60) for the night, while Tennessee Temple was 35% (24-for-68). The Lady Crusaders connected on 7-of-22 (32%) attempts from long range, while Bluefield was 6-for-17 (35%). At the line, Bluefield was 18-for-23 (78%) and TTU 10-for-13 (77%).

Overall, the game had seven ties and five lead changes.

At the close of the tournament, Bluefield's Destiny Tolliver was named to the NCCAA All Mid-East Region first team. The honors are voted on by the region's head coaches.