GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Emma Wingerd canned the game-winning jumper with five seconds left in overtime to lift McDaniel College to a 78-76 win over Gettysburg College in Centennial Conference women's basketball action inside Bream Gym Wednesday night.
McDaniel (11-4, 6-3 CC) ended Gettysburg's (9-6, 5-5 CC) 17-game winning streak on its home court and avenged a dramatic 43-41 loss to the Bullets in last season's regular-season finale.
Senior Caroline Murphy (Chatham, N.J./Chatham) led the hosts with 22 points and 10 rebounds, marking her sixth double-double of the campaign. Sophomore Emily Duggan (Marmora, N.J./Ocean City) added 13 points and nine rebounds off the bench, while junior Samantha Pagel (Harleysville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) tallied 11 points.
Steph Perez posted 17 points and Codi McMaster recorded 15 points for McDaniel. Wingerd finished the night with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists.
It was a furious battle of wills between these two long-time rivals, featuring 14 ties and 16 lead changes in the contest. Gettysburg pushed ahead by six (37-31) before a five-point run by the visitors, capped with a three-pointer at the buzzer by Perez, pulled the score to 37-36 at the half.
The Bullets maintained the advantage through the early portion of the second half and led by as many as five (47-42) on a putback by Duggan at 16:27. The Green Terror remained within striking distance and made a move with less than eight minutes to play, netting eight of 10 points to jump ahead 64-60 with 5:34 to go in the game.
Senior Alyssa Isler (New Hope, Pa./New Hope-Solebury) helped Gettysburg retake the lead with less than two minutes to play, launching a deep three from the win to push her team ahead 66-65. After a free throw by Lindsey Nichols, Isler canned two free attempts to give the Bullets a 68-66 lead with only 54 seconds left.
McMaster came up with a score on the other end for McDaniel, driving right to the hoop for the lay-in to tie the game. On Gettysburg's ensuing possession, Duggan dumped a pass to Murphy in the post and the senior scooped the shot into the hoop with only 22 seconds left.
Following a timeout, McDaniel's final play of regulation proved successful as Brittney Davis came off a screen and nailed an open jumper from the foul line with five seconds left to tie the game 70-70. A running three-pointer from the top of the key by Gettysburg was well off the mark at the buzzer.
In the extra session, the Green Terror jumped ahead 75-72 following a lay-up by Perez and back-to-back free throws by Wingerd. The Bullets regained the lead as Duggan and sophomore Jessica Porter (Narberth, Pa./Lower Merion) each scored off offensive rebounds to make it 76-75 with 2:13 remaining in overtime.
After a free throw by Nichols tied the game, the Bullets came up empty on the next three possessions, missing one shot and committing two turnovers. Davis set the stage for the game-winner, driving down the lane and dishing the ball right to Wingerd for the open jumper near the baseline with five ticks left. Gettysburg was unable to answer, turning the ball over on the in-bounds pass.
Gettysburg shot a season-high 52 percent (26-for-50) from the floor and converted a season-high 22 free throws. McDaniel shot 41.8 percent (28-of-67) from the floor and canned 17-of-23 (73.9 percent) free throws. The Green Terror scored 23 points off 21 turnovers by the Bullets.
Murphy finished 9-of-18 from the floor and 4-of-6 from the free throw line. She also dished out four assists and blocked four shots. Senior Cari McMaster (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) turned in a season-high eight points as the Gettysburg bench out-scored the McDaniel reserves 30-25 in the contest.
Gettysburg returns to action with a road trip to Washington College on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 2 p.m.