Box Score
VALDOSTA, Ga. – Kamyia Smith snapped the fifth tie of the night with a steal and a layup as Valdosta State (Ga.) University survived a relentless effort by the Eckerd College women's basketball program on Friday night in double overtime, 67-63.
Trailing by four, the Tritons (4-3, 1-0 SSC) forced five turnovers in the final 2:38 of regulation, including a steal by senior
Krystal Charles that resulted in a layup for sophomore
Kayla Bowlin to cut the deficit to two.
EC freshman guard
Annie Armstrong then sank a pair of free throws with 4.7 seconds left on the clock to force the initial overtime, knotting the game up at 51-51.
Eckerd stunned the home crowd early in the first overtime with a layup off the tip by Armstrong and a three pocketed by sophomore
Taylor Bestry from the corner.
But with Eckerd holding a seemingly comfortable five-point lead, the Blazers (6-2 overall) clawed back and tied the game up again with 27 seconds left on free throws by Courtney Sprague while holding the Tritons without a point for a four-minute span.
Tied at 56-56 with the shot clock turned off, Bowlin fired a 29-foot desperation three to win that was offline to set up double overtime.
“We played hard in a tough environment and we competed until the end,” EC Head Coach
Paul Honsinger said. “But we didn't do the little things in key possessions to close out the game; we turned the ball over too many times and weren't sharp at the free throw line.”
The Tritons shut down VSU leading scorer Brittney Nelson in the second half and didn't allow her to get a shot off. She scored one point in overtime, but Nelson did most of her damage in the first half and still finished with a double-double (13 points/10 rebounds).
Charles was mainly responsible for the second-half lockdown on Nelson but picked up her fifth foul in regulation as both teams started overtime down a starter.
Valdosta State had enough weapons to supplement Nelson's second-half offensive absence as Smith and Kourtnee Williams ended with 17 apiece.
Williams and Smith combined for 10 steals, playing a factor into EC's 26 total turnovers on the evening. Despite shooting nearly 48 percent from the field, the Tritons converted 15-of-27 (55.6 percent) of their tries at the free-throw line.
Smith's sixth steal of the night led to her layup that gave the Blazers their final lead.
Bestry led three Tritons in double-digit scoring figures with 12 points to join junior
Liga Vente and Charles with 10 each. Charles was one rebound shy of a double-double.
The Tritons will look to rebound on their home court against Adelphi (N.Y.) University on Sunday, Dec. 30, at the McArthur Center. To close out the 2012 calendar year, Eckerd and Adelphi will tip off at 2 p.m. to start a three-game homestand.
