South Euclid, Ohio – The University of Charleston Women's Basketball team competed in their first game in over a month on Saturday afternoon against host Notre Dame College. The game would go to double overtime with Charleston making a late surge to tie the game at the end of regulation.
The Basics
Location: Murphy Gymnasium – South Euclid, Ohio.
Score: UC 79 NDC 72
Records: Charleston (6-5, 4-3 MEC) Notre Dame (7-6, 6-3 MEC)
How It Happened
The scoring opened with a made jumpshot from the Falcons on their first possession of the game. From there the Golden Eagles would go back and forth with the Falcons never gaining more than a six point advantage in the first quarter. It ended with Charleston down 16-13 at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter was controlled more by the Falcons as they outscored Charleston 15-10. UC shot just 22% from the floor while making just one three pointer. The second quarter ended with UC down by eight after the Falcons made a three to end the first half.
The third quarter saw Charleston go down by 14 with four minutes remaining in the quarter. The next three baskets that the Golden Eagles made were all from downtown and UC would cut the Falcon lead to just three with 31 seconds remaining in the quarter. The score at the end of the third quarter was 49-43 in favor of the Falcons.
The fourth quarter saw Charleston make 50% of their shots from the field as they went 8-16. The big moment in the game would come late in the game with UC up by one with a minute to play. The Falcons made a three pointer with 1:01 remaining to go up by two. Charleston was charged with an offensive foul that gave the Falcons the ball back with 19 seconds to play. Charleston would force a turnover and head coach Tianni Kelly called a timeout and set up a play for leading scorer Clarrissa Francis. As time wound down Francis posted up and drained the bucket to send the game to overtime.
The first overtime would not be enough to decide a winner. Both teams scored just eight points in the first overtime. Two free throws by the Falcons Lilee Carlson would knot up the score at 69.
UC dominated the second overtime by scoring 10 points to Notre Dame's three. Markyia McCormick accounted for the first five points of the overtime and that would be enough to close the door on the second overtime game for the Golden Eagles. Trinitiy Palacio drained two free throws to put the nail in the coffin with 27 seconds remaining. The final score would be Charleston 79, Notre Dame 72.
UC shot 32.9% from the field and 35% from beyond the arc. Clarrissa Francis and Markyia McCormick tallied 23 points in the win with Anastasiia Zakharova adding 11 rebounds. McCormick went 5-9 from three-point range to lead the Golden Eagles to their first win in over a month.
UP NEXT
The ladies will be back in action at on Monday at home against Alderson Broaddus as they will make up their contest that was previously postponed.
