TYLER, Texas – Huston-Tillotson University's women's basketball team overcame a seven-point fourth quarter deficit, forced overtime in the waning seconds of regulation, and prevailed in the extra frame Tuesday as the Rams won 76-73 at Texas College.
HT's
Summer Thomas scored 17 points and secured nine rebounds to lead the Rams (10-14, 9-12 RRAC), who saw all five starters score at least 12 points.
Aliyah Carter and
Destiny Stanford scored 14 points apiece, while
Wilashia Burleson and
Tyaija Coleman chipped in 12 points each.
Tyler Pyburn led Texas College (8-16, 7-14 RRAC) with a game-high 31 points and 10 rebounds; she shot 12-of-23 from the floor in the game.
Texas College led 50-43 with 8:11 remaining in the fourth quarter before HT roared back with 10 unanswered points. The run started with back-to-back 3-pointers by Thomas and Coleman and was capped by a layup from Thomas with 5:21 left in regulation.
The Rams appeared to be headed toward victory in regulation when Stanford converted a layup while getting fouled with 37 seconds remaining. She then sank the ensuing free throw to give HT a 63-59 lead, which was big enough to withstand Pyburn hitting a 3-pointer with 19 seconds left on the clock.
But before the Rams could draw a foul on their next possession, the Steers forced a turnover, which started a run of three consecutive turnovers by each team, giving Texas College the ball with 11 seconds left. After a missed shot, TC's Serenity Jackson put back a second-chance basket with eight seconds left, giving the Steers a 64-63 lead and bringing the home crowd to their feed.
With no timeouts, HT used a press-breaker offense to drive the length of the floor.
Bria Jackson, who didn't enter the game until the fourth quarter, got the ball and drew a foul on a shot with two seconds left. After missing her first free throw, she calmly sank the second attempt to tie the game. TC's final attempt was off the mark, necessitating five more minutes of basketball.
In the overtime period, the teams exchanged one-possession leads until Stanford hit a 3-pointer with 1:16 remaining to give HT a 73-69 advantage. A Texas College basket was then countered by a jumper by Burleson with 55 seconds left in the period to put HT back up by four points.
After two Texas College free throws pulled the Steers to within two points, the home team fouled Carter with 10 seconds left on the clock. She made one out of two attempts, which forced Texas College to try to tie the game with a 3-pointer that missed the mark as time expired.
In addition to her game-tying free throw in regulation, Jackson also drained a 3-pointer in the period to finish with four points. HT's
Jade Hilliary also knocked down a 3-pointer for the Rams.
HT led 21-14 after one quarter, but shot 25 percent (4 of 16) in the second period as the Steers took a 33-29 lead into halftime.
The Rams conclude their trip to Northeast Texas on Thursday when they visit Jarvis Christian, in a game that was originally scheduled for Jan. 2. The first of two games against Jarvis in a span of 10 days, Thursday's women's game is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff.
– HT –
