SEWANEE, Tenn. –
Kayla Antoine finished with 26 points and 17 rebounds and
Olivia Falvey added 16 points, but Sewanee missed chances in the final seconds to win in regulation and overtime, finally falling in double OT, 73-70, to Rhodes College in the quarterfinals of the SAA Championships in women's basketball action Sunday in Memphis, Tenn.
The Tigers end the season with the loss, but the squad played very well over the last month, posting a 4-5 mark with the nine games decided by a total of 26 points under first-year head coach
Jaylynn Stewart.
Cydney Wright made two foul shots with 24.2 seconds to play to tie the game at 62 in regulation and the Tigers got the ball back with 3.8 seconds remaining for a final shot but Falvey's attempt in traffic sailed wide and Antoine's putback did not go, sending the contest to overtime.
In the first extra period Falvey made 1-of-2 at the foul line with 30.1 ticks on the clock for a 68-66 advantage, but Avery Marsh's basket with 17.8 seconds remaining tied the game again. Wright tried to pass in the post to Antoine in the final five seconds but it was deflected away and the teams went to double overtime.
Catherine Althoff's putback on the first possession gave the Lynx a 70-68 edge and was the only points of the period until one free throw by Marsh with 16 seconds to play. Falvey was fouled on a 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds remaining and had a chance to tie the game again, but she missed the first and made the other two.
Marsh was fouled again with 1.9 seconds left and made both attempts. Falvey got possession of a long inbounds pass but her attempt at the final shot came while she was falling to the floor near the 3-point line and sailed wide.
Wright netted 11 points and
Lilly Phillips made three 3-pointers for nine points for the Tigers.
Althoff and Kearstyn Seay led the Lynx with 15 points apiece. Rhodes had six players with nine or more points, including 12 for Marsh and 12 points and 10 boards by Giana Vlahakos.
The Tigers started quickly with 3-pointers from Falvey and Phillips and a short jumper by Antoine in the first two minutes. Falvey made a layup but Marsh connected on a triple and Althoff hit a jumper for an 11-10 edge for the Lynx.
Wright's 3-pointer knotted the game at 13 and Antoine's layup and a three by Falvey increased the Sewanee lead to 18-13. Antoine added another basket and the Tigers led, 20-13, after one period.
Phillips netted her second triple of the half, pushing the lead to 27-18, and Falvey's jumper made it 29-18 with six minutes to go before intermission. Sewanee missed its next seven shots and did not score for almost five minutes, allowing Rhodes to tie the game with an 11-0 spurt, including a 3-pointer by Seay and four points by AC Milam.
Antoine's putback with 1:35 left in the period ended the drought and her layup in the last 10 seconds of the half gave the Tigers a 33-31 edge at the break. Antoine and Falvey combined for 22 points for Sewanee.
Two free throws apiece by
Faith Humphrey and Antoine put Sewanee in front, 41-34, midway through the period, but Seay answered with a 3-pointer and a triple by Milam and basket from Vlahakos tied the contest at 45.
Milam scored again just before the end of the quarter and Rhodes stretched its lead to eight early in the final period behind field goals from Althoff and Vlahakos and two buckets by Seay. Phillips made a big 3-pointer for the Tigers that turned the momentum and Antoine got a bucket and then an old-fashioned 3-point play.
Falvey's layup with 2:29 to go tied the game at 60 and set up the final free throws and attempts by both teams.
