Box Score
BISMARCK, N.D. – Mary rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit and hit a last-second layup in regulation
to hand Southwest Minnesota State a 64-61 overtime loss Saturday night in Bismarck, N.D.
Mary improves to 6-3 (2-2 NSIC), while SMSU drops to 6-5 (0-3 NSIC)
Tori Fink finished with a team-high 15 points, while Sara Leidall added 10 on the evening. Laura Kramer led the Mustangs on the boards, grabbing a team-high 11 rebounds in the loss.
The Mustangs were in control to open the game, building a double-digit lead midway through the first half. That lead came via SMSU's pressure defense as the Mustangs held the Marauders to a sparse 6-of-23 shooting from the field.
The Mustangs put together a solid 5-0 run to close the first half, capped off by a Taylor Voss three-pointer and an Aneisha Starks steal that resulted in a pair of made free throws for the sophomore. SMSU went to the locker room sporting a 13-point lead.
Mary came out of the gates at full speed in the second half, cutting the Mustang lead to one with just under eight minutes to go.
But just as it looked like the host Marauders might take the lead, Fink drained a long three-pointer from the top of key to give SMSU a four-point lead and repossession of the momentum.
Just a few possessions later, Fink stuffed an Abby Bratlien jumper from 15-feet that would have tied the game at 43.
With Mary knocking at the door, Abby Oakland converted on a three-point play that stretched the Mustang lead to six with 4:24 remaining.
That lead, however, would nearly dissolve, and a late SMSU turnover proved costly as Mary used an Anna Skala layup to get within one at 50-49 with under a minute left.
But a Marauder turnover of their own also proved costly for Mary as Abby Rieter threw a routine pass out of bounds on the right wing to give SMSU, still clinging to its one-point advantage, the ball.
Fink was able to draw a foul and converted on one of her two free throws. And on the ensuing possession with 16 seconds left, the Marauders, trailing by two, put the ball in the hands of Abby Reiter, who drove the lane and nailed an off-balance layup as time expired to send the game into overtime.
A pair of back-to-back Marauder free throws to open the extra period allowed Mary to jump out to an early lead, but the Mustangs battled back and took the lead at 61-60 off a Leidall hook shot from the right baseline..
Mary quickly regained a one-point lead, and with under 30 seconds remaining an off-the-mark Taylor Voss three-pointer resulted in a pair of Reiter free throws at the other end to give the Marauders a two-point lead.
With a chance to tie off the Reiter's second missed free throw, Voss missed a jumper from the right baseline and a Kimmes put back rimmed out to give the Marauders the win.
The Marauders were led by Anna Skala's 19 points and 14 rebounds.
The Mustangs return to action Friday when they host Minnesota Morris in a 6 p.m. non-conference contest.
