Huntington Outlasts Grace Women
HUNTINGTON – The Grace College and Huntington’s women’s basketball teams needed two overtime periods to decide a winner in a hotly contested game on Saturday.
In the end, the Foresters prevailed 76-74 in double overtime on a last-second basket.
The Lady Lancers (8-12; 4-4 Crossroads League) were aiming to move into third place in the league standings with a win, but the Foresters’ game-winning shot spoiled Grace’s efforts.
Grace’s swarming defense gave Huntington trouble throughout the first half. The Foresters (14-5; 6-2 CL) had 14 turnovers before halftime and shot just 37 percent as Grace claimed a 33-26 lead at the break.
The Lady Lancers held the Foresters scoreless for four minutes of play midway into the half, opening up their first sizeable lead of the game at 19-12.
Allison Kauffman (13 points) and Juaneice Jackson (eight points) were major factors in the first half.
Grace opened up a double-digit lead early in the second half and still led by nine with 7:19 to play in the game. Huntington slowly whittled away at Grace’s margin as the Lady Lancers struggled offensively. Grace missed seven straight field goals and a pair of free throws to allow Huntington to climb back.
With Grace clinging to a 56-55 lead in the final minute, Kauffman found JoEllen Fickel for a big basket with 44 seconds remaining to extend the team’s lead to three. Huntington tied the game, however, with a 3-pointer on the next possession. Grace was unable to get off a clean look in the final seconds as the game went to its first overtime.
The Lady Lancers led for nearly the entire overtime session, but the Foresters scored on their final two possessions to tie the game again at 67-67 to send the contest to a second overtime.
The teams traded hoops in the second overtime. Kauffman’s 3-pointer with 1:31 to play tied the game at 74 apiece. After a pair of empty possessions, Huntington had the ball with the clock winding down. Miranda Palmer then netted the game winner with a hook shot in the paint as the buzzer sounded.
Allison Kauffman finished with a career-high 29 points on 11-of-19 shooting. She hauled down 11 rebounds with three assists and two blocks. Juaneice Jackson produced 14 points, six rebounds and six steals as well.
JoEllen Fickel had 12 points and nine boards, and Gabby Bryant added seven points, five assists and fou4 rebounds.
As a team Grace had a plus-14 advantage in rebounds. The Lady Lancers also outscored the Foresters 40-28 in points in the paint.
The Lady Lancers will look to rebound at home on Wednesday when they host Mt. Vernon Nazarene for a 7 p.m. game.