In the last full week of regular-season play in the women's college summer league, the league leader experienced its first loss but remained atop the standings as the playoff picture began to come into focus. The nine-game regular-season schedule ends with Tuesday's round of contests, and this Thursday the league tournament begins.

All 10 teams will see postseason action, with the ball clubs ranked seven through 10 engaging in play-in games on Thursday to send two teams on to the quarterfinals on July 23.

Team Cyber Pink, an alumni team with four Chestnut Hill College grads on the roster, lost for the first time last Thursday, falling to Team Sky Blue (Holy Family University), 71-67. The Pink pack remained in first place at 7-1, and below them were three teams with 6-2 records,

Team Black (Jefferson University), Team Purple Haze (West Chester U.) and another alumni team, Team Lime Citrus. Black and Purple will face one another in the regular-season finale this Tuesday.

Fifth place belonged to Sky Blue, at 5-3, and sixth with a 4-4 ledger was Team Orange Citrus, a squad assembled from Division III players that includes 2023 Germantown Academy graduate Abby Marino.

Arcadia University's Team Maroon ended last week in seventh with a 3-5 mark, while Team Red Fire (Chestnut Hill College) lost twice last week and slipped to 2-6. During the proper collegiate season, teams Red, Black, and Sky Blue compete against one another in the NCAA Division II Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference.

Another CACC member, Goldey Beacom College, supplies most of the players for Team Royal Blue, which was 1-7 at the end of last week, ahead of winless Team Sunburst, a Division III pick-up team.

Just before the July 4 break, there had been a dramatic showdown between two CACC members, with Jefferson's Team Black edging Sky Blue, 64-63.

When league competition resumed last Tuesday, Black took on another CACC school, CHC's Red Fire, but this one would not be a nailbiter.

After obtaining a 20-15 foothold in the first quarter, Black opened things up in the second period to lead 44-31 at halftime. Ahead 71-47 at the three-quarter mark, the Jefferson bunch gave back eight points while coasting through the fourth quarter to a 77-61 victory.

A well-balanced scoring effort for the summer Lady Rams featured 16 points from senior Sam Yencha and 13 from sophomore Emily Spratt, with six other players each scoring six or more points.

The week before the holiday break the CHC squad had been missing its Irish Brigade (junior Siobhan Boylan and sophomore Bridie McCann), and upon their return they scored 11 and 12 points, respectively, against Team Black. Incoming freshman Tikyra Miller, a strong performer all season, also scored 11 points.

Surveying Team Red Fire's results, one should consider the fact that the Griffins' starting point guard and starting center from last winter do not play at all in the summer league.

In other Tuesday action, the Cyber Pink alumni team upped its record to 7-0, as seven points from Chestnut Hill grad Cassie Spratt (Emily's sister-in-law) contributed to a 56-40 win over one of the Division III combo teams, Orange Citrus.

Plymouth Whitemarsh grad Anna McTamney recorded 17 points to lead West Chester's Team Purple Haze over Team Maroon (Arcadia U.), 67-54.

In other action, Team Royal Blue fell to Lime Citrus, 71-60. GA grad Alexa Naessens scored five points for the winners, who had Upper Dublin High School alumni Dayna and Demi Balasa post eight and seven points, respectively.

On Thursday, Cyber Pink played without its regular point guard, Cassie Spratt. Sky Blue charged out of the starting gate and maintained a lead in the low double-digits through much of the contest. A fourth-quarter rally had Pink back within one point, 66-65, heading into the final minute.

Pink then had to foul to stop the clock, and Sky players went five-for-six at the free throw line to make it 71-65. With five seconds to go, Pink missed a three-point shot, but the ball went out over the baseline off of Sky Blue. Pink hit a lay-up off of the inbounds pass, but still finished four points short, 71-67.

CHC alums Kait Carter and Lauren Crim scored 11 and six points, respectively, in the losing cause.

The current CHC crop, Team Red Fire, shot and rebounded poorly in a 76-67 loss to Purple Haze, which only had six players on hand. McTamney put up 17 points for the winners, and McCann had 16 for Red Fire. Even with a win in its last regular-season outing, Red would need to take part in the play-in round on Thursday.