AMHERST, N.Y. – Junior Katie Fischer (Ambridge, Pa.) scored 31 points and senior Aignee Freeland (York, Pa.) added 22 to lead Edinboro University to an 87-84 overtime victory over Daemen College in women's basketball action here today. The Fighting Scots, who entered the game ranked fifth in the latest D2SIDA Atlantic Region poll, improved to 9-3 on the year. Daemen dropped to 2-3.
Sophomore Sarah Saba (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) paced the Wildcats with 23 points, five rebounds and three assists. Senior Raeann Stilwell (Cheektowaga, N.Y./St. Mary's of Lancaster) added 16 points, while junior Natalie Galus (Hamburg, N.Y./Frontier) added 15 points, seven rebounds and three blocks.
Fischer drained four three-pointers in the game and also totaled four assists and two steals for Edinboro.
The game was a back-and-fourth affair throughout, as neither team led by more than six points and the contest featured 22 lead changes and 21 ties.
Neither team led by more than three points during the first frame, and Daemen took an 11-8 lead following a bucket by Galus with 5:16 left in the quarter. The Fighting Scots knotted the game at 11-11 a minute later and the score remained that way until Saba canned one of two free throws with just under two minutes left in the quarter. The teams headed into the second quarter tied at 18-18.
More of the same continued in the second stanza, as the quarter featured five ties and seven lead changes. Neither team led by more than two points during the frame and the Fighting Scots took a 36-34 lead into halftime after Freeland canned a jumper with 10 seconds left in the quarter. Freeland scored eight points during the quarter, while Saba paced the Wildcats with 10 of Daemen's 16 points during the quarter.
Edinboro appeared ready to take control four minutes into the third quarter after a three-pointer by Fischer gave the visitors a 45-39 lead, but Daemen answered with an 11-5 run over the next three minutes and a three-point play by Galus with 3:02 left in the quarter tied the game at 50-50. The teams entered the final quarter tied at 56-56.
The game was tied at 65-65 midway through the fourth quarter when Saba netted four-straight points for the hosts. EU battled back and eventually tied the game at 71-71 following a triple by Fischer with 3:09 left in the fourth. The teams traded hoops the rest of the quarter and two free throws by Stilwell with 26 seconds left in regulation tied the game at 77-77. EU held for the final shot, but a three-pointer by freshman Michelle Jahn (Edinboro, Pa.) was off the mark and the game head to overtime.
The first four minutes of the five-minute overtime period featured two lead changes and three ties. A layup by Stilwell with 37 seconds left tied the game at 83-83, and after an EU miss an offensive rebound and layup by junior Nicole Johnson (Pittsburgh, Pa.) with 0:09 second left gave the Fighting Scots an 85-83 lead. Stilwell was fouled at the other end the made one-of-two from the charity stripe, and Freehold closed out the scoring by canning two free throws with 0:05 seconds left. A last second heave by Stilwell just before the final buzzer was off the mark.
The final statistics were as close as the final score. Daemen shot 43-percent (28-65) from the field overall, while EU made 29-of-69 shots (42%). The Wildcats made 6-of-25 from downtown, while the Fighting Scots finished 4-of-16 from the three-point land. A total of 58 fouls were whistled in the game. Daemen went 22-for-35 (63%) from the charity stripe, while EU was 25-for-39 (64%). Daemen finished with 47 total rebounds, while the Fighting Scots collected 43 rebounds.
Daemen returns to action tomorrow (Dec. 13) when it opens East Coast Conference action by hosting the University of the District of Columbia at 1 p.m. UDC is also coming off an overtime contest, as the Firebirds posted a 97-90 victory at Roberts Wesleyan College in triple overtime on Friday.
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