BEAUMONT, Texas – After a 5-2 loss to No. 1 seed Central Arkansas in the Southland Conference Tournament quarterfinals on Wednesday, Northwestern State senior Ysmina Smith told her Lady Demons teammates to "keep fighting and to never quit."

That sentiment described No. 8 seed NSU's (10-10) effort in its final match of the season, outpossessing the regular season champions for large swaths of the match and battling for the full 90 minutes.

Central Arkansas (16-3-1) scored three first-half goals and never relinquished the lead, but NSU notched two goals in the second half as they closed UCA's lead to two goals on two different occasions.

"They fought like they have all year, and we're really proud of them for that," said first-year co-head coach Jess Jobe. "We've seen them come a tremendous distance with their approach to the game, approach to training and overall mentality.

"They were committed to the effort today no matter what the score line was. This was a tremendous experience for all of our players, and we'll be better for it next year."

Down three goals at halftime, freshman Hallie McCarroll injected life into the Lady Demons with a goal from 25 yards out in which she beat Lauren Mercuri, the SLC Goalkeeper of the Year.

"I wasn't really expecting it, but it went in," said McCarroll, who snatched a starting role in the final weeks. "When that went in, we felt like we still had a chance, and our sideline was yelling, 'Get up, get up.'

"We had the mindset that we could do it. This was a really good feeling and learning experience for us all."

Senior April Trowbridge earned the assist on the short corner kick, improving her season total to seven and career total to 16. In just three seasons, Trowbridge ranked in fifth in assists and points (60).

The All-Southland Conference Second Team forward scored 13 goals this season, which led the league entering postseason play and was tied for second all-time in NSU single-season history. She finishes her career with 22 goals.

The Lady Demons had one of their prettier goals of the season when Brittany Caserma headed in a pass from the flank sent in by freshman Aliyah Hale. That 61^st minute goal shaved UCA's lead to 4-2.

Caserma tied her career high of eight goals, finishing in a tie for fifth with 24 career goals. Her 52 career points is tied for ninth.

"We had a chance to redeem ourselves (from Friday's 5-0 loss at UCA), and to show that that wasn't us," said Caserma with tears in her eyes. "We fought really hard, and I'm proud to say that I was a part of this team and that we didn't stop fighting.

"I think this season is a huge turning point for our program. Us seniors knew the girls we played with worked hard for us, and didn't let us go without another postseason trip. Next year, they'll fight even harder."

UCA had shut out its last three opponents (including NSU) and allowed just one other Southland Conference team to score multiple goals (3-1 loss to Lamar).

NSU outshot UCA 15-11 thanks to a 10-4 edge in the second half. But the Lady Demons were ultra-competitive in the early minutes, making UCA earn opportunities.

An extraordinary goal by Camille Bassett, the reigning and two-time Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year, helped turned the tide for the Bears.

Bassett received a through ball on the flank, beat a defender to the inside and touched a shot across her body for a 16^th minute goal.

NSU had multiple chances to take an early lead or respond to UCA's first goal, including a corner kick which took five bounces in the box and resulted in two shots.

But the Bears wrestled away control from that point as Morgan Rollow and Gracie Hair scored goals in the 34^th and 41^st minutes for a 3-0 halftime edge.

The tournament trip was NSU's second in three years after ending an eight-year drought in 2016.

NSU's 10 wins matches its best since 2009 (11 wins). The Lady Demons also won 10 games in 2016.

McCarroll was one of 19 Lady Demons to see action Wednesday and one of 14 underclassmen to see the field.

Jobe says postseason experience will help propel the Lady Demons into the spring and next season.

"We'll be a lot better next year about how to handle the pressure and the nerves of an occasion like this," Jobe said. "The early goal got us in terms of nerves, and it pulled us apart a little bit.

"We fought hard in the early minutes, and that was a blow for us. We had to fight to recover. But this team has a taste of the postseason now, and that will help us move forward."