Behrend Women Fall in
Double-Overtime to Bethany in Season Opener
The
women's basketball team lost 70-67 in double-overtime to Bethany in
front of 350 fans in the Junker Center on Friday night.
Behrend trailed for most of the first-half before Julia Andrus (Corry/Corry) hit two free-throws and knotted the game at 23 apiece with 5:18 remaining. Andrus then scored four of the next six points to help the blue and white open a ten-point advantage entering halftime. Kayla O'Connor (Erie/Seneca) making her first start for Behrend added eight points and Natalie Engel (McDonald/Fort Cherry) was four-for-four at the line and hauled down six boards in the first twenty.
In the second frame, Bethany erased the Behrend advantage and looked as if they were headed towards the win after holding a four-point lead with only four seconds remaining. Bethany then fouled Engel as she attempted a three-pointer. She hit the first two and then intentionally missed the third as senior Meagan Bielanin (Erie/Mercyhurst Prep) was fouled at the buzzer with Behrend trailing 58-56. She calmly stepped up and drilled two free-throws to send it to overtime.
The five minute overtime hinged on a three-point Behrend lead with six second to go, as Bethany's Lisa Mitchell connected from long distance off a screen to tie the game at 63 all. Behrend's shot at the buzzer fell short sending the game into another overtime period.
The second five minute session featured a lot of back-and-forth action. Bethany led 66-65 before Bielanin hit a baseline jumper with forty-one seconds left to give Behrend the one-point led. Bethany's Kelly Goode hit a three-pointer from the top of the key with thirty seconds left and it proved to be the biggest shot of the day. Behrend missed four shots to tie it as Stacy Goode then hit one-of-two at the line to give the Bison the hard fought 70-67 win.
For the game, Andrus tallied 13 points, while Bielanin added 13 points and nine boards. Also in double-didgets were Engel and O'Connor with 11. Bethany was led by Kelly Goode's 21 points.
In the early game, Juniata defeated John Carroll 66-52. The Eagles Claudia McDowell had 17 markers, six boards, five steals and five assists in the victory.
Saturday's consolation game features JCU (0-1) against Behrend (0-1) at 1:00 p.m. The championship game of the Behrend Tip-Off Tournament has Bethany playing Juniata in the Junker Center at 3:00 p.m.