Southeastern outlasts UCA, 78-70, in double overtime women’s hoops thriller

HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana outscored Central Arkansas, 15-7, in the second overtime to secure a thrilling 78-70 double-overtime victory in Southland Conference women’s basketball action Saturday afternoon in the University Center.

The Lady Lions (5-17, 4-7 Southland) won their fourth Southland Conference game in their last six tries and defeated Central Arkansas (15-8, 8-3 Southland) for the first time since the 2012-13 season. The win over the two-time defending league tournament champion was the first double-overtime victory for the Lady Lions since an 85-84 triumph at Houston Baptist on Jan. 25, 2014.

“This was a great team effort and I couldn’t be prouder,” Southeastern first-year head coach Ayla Guzzardo said. “We lost a heartbreaker on Wednesday (at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi), but one thing we did in that game was we played tough. That toughness carried over to today’s game.

“This was a total team effort,” Guzzardo added. “But we had some individuals really step up today. (Freshman forward) Caitlyn Williams grew up today and showed what kind of special player she can be. (Senior guard) Taylin Underwood returned to form after a tough game on Wednesday. (Junior guard) Ashailee Brailey hit some huge shots down the stretch and (sophomore guard) Tyler Morrison does all the little things necessary for us to be successful.”

In a game that featured eight ties and 11 lead changes, a bucket by Caitlyn Williams gave SLU a 55-53 lead with seven seconds left in regulation. However, UCA forced overtime on a basket by senior center Kierra Jordan.

The Sugar Bears took a three-point lead with 2:23 left in the first overtime, but Caitlyn Williams answered with consecutive baskets to give Southeastern a 63-62 lead in the final minute.

Jordan drew a foul with 10 seconds left and made one of two to send the game into a second overtime. Early in the second extra stanza, Brailey broke the game’s final tie with a three that gave the Lady Lions the lead for good.

Brailey’s third trey of the game started a 9-0 run for SLU that clinched the win. UCA could get no closer than six the rest of the way as the Lady Lions picked up a huge upset victory.

Underwood led Southeastern with 26 points. The sharp shooter from Livingston, Louisiana now has 1,457 career points as a Lady Lion, moving her past SLU Athletics Hall of Famer and Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts for sixth place on the school’s career scoring list.

Caitlyn Williams scored a career-high 22 points and secured her second double-double of the season, as the Brusly, Louisiana native pulled down 11 rebounds. Brailey added 10 points, while Morrison grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds to go with five assists. In her last two games, the Baton Rouge, Louisiana product has 11 assists versus no turnovers.

Morrison and Underwood shared team-high honors with five assists each, while junior guard Jaclyn Scholvin chipped in with four assists. Caitlyn Williams also led SLU with four blocked shots.

Junior guard Antonjia Bozic led UCA with 20 points and was joined in double figures by Jordan (11 points) and senior guard Angel Williams (10 points). Senior forward Taylor Baudoin led UCA with 11 rebounds, while sophomore guard Taylor Sells dished out a game-high seven assists.

Saturday’s game was the first of two straight at home for Southeastern. On Wednesday, the Lady Lions will host Incarnate Word for a 7 p.m. Southland contest. LionVision subscribers will be able to access a live video stream of Saturday’s game at www.LionSports.net/watch.

Southeastern Athletics Marketing and Promotions will offer free food to SLU students prior to Wednesday’s game. It will also be a Cane’s Challenge versus UIW. If the Lady Lions score 50 or more points, fans can take their student coupons or game tickets to their local participating Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers by the end of business on Thursday to receive a free combo with the purchase of another of equal or greater value.

Brailey will be Wednesday’s Spotlight Player of the Game. The first 150 fans will receive a trading card featuring the Abbeville, Louisiana native courtesy of PRIDE.

Central Arkansas 70 (15-7, 8-3 SLC)
Baudoin 2-14 5-6 9, Jordan 4-9 3-4 11, Orr 0-9 1-2 1, Sells 0-4 3-4 3,Williams 3-4 1-2 10, Goodner 1-4 0-0 3, Bozic 7-14 0-0 20, Hicks 2-6 2-2 6, Lowe 0-0 0-0 0, Langhi 3-3 1-2 7. Totals 22-67 16-22 70.
Southeastern Louisiana 78 (5-17, 4-7 SLC)
C. Williams 11-23 0-2 22, Underwood 5-11 13-14 26, Scholvin 2-7 2-2 7, Morrison 0-4 3-4 3, Brailey 3-8 1-2 10, K. Williams 1-2 0-0 2, Carrier 1-2 0-0 2, Dugas 2-8 0-0 6. Totals 25-65 19-24 78.
End of 1st Quarter – SLU 16, UCA 13. Halftime – UCA 30, SLU 27. End of 3rd Quarter – SLU 45, UCA 43. End of Regulation – SLU 55, UCA 55. End of 1st Overtime – SLU 63, UCA 63. 3-point goals – UCA 10-27 (Bozic 6-13, Williams 3-3, Goodner 1-4, Orr 0-3, Baudoin 0-2, Sells 0-2), SLU 9-25 (Underwood 3-8, Brailey 3-8, Dugas 2-4, Scholvin 1-3, . Technical Fouls – None. Fouled Out – Baudoin, Jordan, Bozic. Rebounds – UCA 42 (Baudoin 11), SLU 46 (Morrison 14). Assists – UCA 14 (Sells 7), SLU 17 (Morrison, Underwood 5). Totals Fouls – UCA 19, SLU 16. A – 595.