FREDERICK, Md.--Sophomores Dyanna Prater and Emily Maerz hit consecutive baskets with 2:14 left in the extra session to propel the Hood College women's basketball team (1-0) to a 63-58 overtime win over Goucher College (0-1) in the season opener for both teams Monday at the Odom Fitness Center.
The Blazers defeated the Gophers for the first time since 2004 and won their first season opening game under fourth-year head coach Jay Butler.
Goucher held the upperhand in the early going before senior Allyson Lethbridge caught fire and ripped off eight straight points to turn a 15-9 deficit into a 17-15 advantage at the 9:08 mark of the first half. Hood led by as many as nine in the stanza and took a five-point edge (35-30) into the break.
Hood once again reached a nine-point cushion in the second half but the Gophers inched their way back into it. A putback by Hannah Brown at the 6:23 mark gave the Gophers their first lead since the 9:30 mark of the opening half. The contest would be nip and tuck the rest of the way.
Lethbridge snapped a 50-50 tie on a fast-break layup to put the Blazers up 52-50 with 3:12 to go. But that would be Hood's last field goal of regulation, leaving the door open for Goucher. After Hood's Jessica Talley made 1-of-2 at the line, Elizabeth von Ende, one of the Gophers' top perimeter threats, would drain the game-tying triple from the top of the key to knot the score at 53-53 with 30 seconds left. Prater's attempt just before the buzzer was off the mark sending the game into overtime.
Hood struck first on a bucket by Lethbridge, but Goucher countered on its next possession on a layup by Leia Roberts-Brown. After the Gophers hit 1-of-2 from the line, Prater and Maerz would connect on back-to-back baskets to put Hood up 59-56 with 2:14 to go. Goucher misfired on its next four attempts before Roberts-Brown cut the deficit to one on a layup with 15 seconds left. Kiara Doughty then fouled Prater on the inbounds, sending the Blazers into the double bonus. Prater swished both foul shots and the Gophers took a timeout. Another triple try by von Ende rimmed out, and Prater came down with the board. She went back to the stripe for two more free throws, and calmly hit them both to clinch the win for Hood.
Lethbridge led all scorers with 19 points and seven rebounds while Talley and Prater chipped in 13 apiece. Talley registered a double-double with a game-high 13 boards while Prater dished five assists. Briana White blocked three shots and contributed eight points and seven rebounds in her first game in the blue-and-grey.
Von Ende paced the Gophers with 18 points while Doughty finished with a double-double of 10 points and 13 boards.
Hood travels to Massachusetts this weekend for the Gordon College tournament Friday and Saturday.