TIFFIN – For the first time in over a decade, the Heidelberg University women's basketball team upset a ranked opponent. The Student Princes needed overtime, but emerged with a 78-75 triumph over #19 John Carroll University.

For senior guard Paige Ricketts, the victory was the "biggest win ever." And based off of the reaction of her teammates, it was.

The win moved Heidelberg to 8-10, 6-5 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. With the loss, John Carroll slipped to 16-2, 9-2 in the OAC.

THREE STARS

The pesky Ricketts finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and a career-high eight assists in the win. Perhaps more importantly, Ricketts' defensive assignment was reigning OAC Player of the Week Katlyn Spahar. Spahar was held to 11 points, her second-lowest total of the season.

Nicole Payne amassed a career-high 15 points on an efficient 5-of-7 shooting. With 13.1 seconds left in overtime, the junior drained a pair of free throws to push the Heidelberg lead to three.

Theresa Jackson scored a team-high 16 points. After her potential game-winner rattled in and out as time expired in regulation, the sophomore transfer stepped up and buried a game-tying 3-pointer with 2:50 left in overtime.

FIRST HALF

Heidelberg was stagnant on offense in the first seven minutes of the contest. Despite having Spahar on the bench with two early fouls, John Carroll took advantage of the HU woes and racked up a 12-4 lead.

The Student Princes found their rhythm and vaulted into the lead with a 9-0 run over a two minute span. The lead volleyed back and forth until back-to-back buckets by Ricketts ignited a 15-8 Berg run to end the half.

There were six lead changes in the opening frame, which ended with a seven point lead for HU, 35-28.

SECOND HALF

Having trailed by as many as 11 in the second half, JCU cut the Tricolor lead down to three with 7:33 remaining. The Student Princes pushed their advantage back to eight with a five-point spurt, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Allie Hawkins.

With 2:01 remaining, Carli Patrick hit a layup off a feed from Hawkins. The bucket gave the home team a 64-55 lead.

John Carroll began to chip away. First, Spahar stroked a 3-pointer out of a JCU timeout. After a pair of misses at the line by Heidelberg, Blue Streak guard Shmoo Pryor hit a contested layup.

Up four, Heidelberg failed to convert on a jumper in the paint. Jackson picked up her fourth foul while trying to track down the rebound. In the double-bonus, Spahar hit a pair at the line to bring the visitors to within two with 36 seconds left.

Heidelberg escaped backcourt pressure, but head coach Morgan Shriver called a timeout as Ricketts was triple-teamed in the corner of the forecourt. Out of the timeout, the inbound was deflected into the hands of John Carroll.

Quickly ahead, Pryor found Beth Switzler for an open layup, tying the game at 64.

After nearly turning the ball over on the inbound pass again, Heidelberg had an open look off a high screen. Hawkins found Jackson with a drop pass with four seconds remaining. Jackson took a dribble and stepped into an 18-foot jumper as the horn sounded. The ball caromed off the back and front of the rim before dropping outside of the cylinder.

OVERTIME

John Carroll grabbed an early lead in the extra session on a Pryor layup. HU cut the lead in half as Jackson split a pair at the line. JCU moved out to a three-point advantage on a pair of foul shots by Daniella Rice.

Trailing 70-67 with 2:50 left, Jackson's 3-pointer from the top of the arc tied the game and helped Heidelberg settle down.

After a Spahar miss, Hawkins hit a floater from the right side of the key to put Heidelberg up 72-70.

Following a miss from both squads, Rice scored on a fast break off of a Heidelberg turnover.

Knotted at 72, Ricketts missed a running layup and the Blue Streaks quickly pushed the ball ahead to Spahar. At the elbow, the OAC's leading scorer had the ball stripped away by Jackson into the hands of Hawkins. Hawkins was knocked down by Switzler, who was trying to take the ball back.

Hawkins, shooting 62.5% from the line, hit both free throws and put the Tricolor back up, 74-72 with 1:10 left.

On the ensuing Blue Streaks possession, Emily Taylor knifed between a pair of Heidelberg defenders and scored a game-tying layup.

At the other end, Hawkins drove into the lane a scooped the ball with her right hand off the glass and in with 42 seconds left.

With less than 30 seconds on the clock, Taylor was fouled by Payne as she drove baseline. Taylor hit the first, but missed the second and was called for a lane violation. The whistle negated an offensive board and putback by Taylor.

Heidelberg was able to move the ball into the forecourt and Payne was fouled off the ball by Taylor, who fouled out with a game-high 17 points. Payne's two shots from the line gave HU a 78-75 lead with 13.1 left.

Without a timeout, John Carroll moved ahead but could not find the equalizer. Spahar had an off-balanced look at a 3-pointer, but hit the side of the iron. The ball bounced out of bounds as time expired.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Five Heidelberg players finished with more than 10 points. Liburdi tallied 12 points and nine rebounds off the bench. Hawkins ended up with 14 points, including six in overtime.

JCU's Switzler finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds. She was one of four Blue Streaks in double-figures.

Patrick, on an off-night, finished with six points and 11 rebounds. She was one of four HU players who ended the game with four fouls.

The Heidelberg win avenged a 72-46 drubbing at the hands of JCU in University Heights back in December.

QUOTES

Head Coach Morgan Shriver on keeping her team focused late: "It was a very, very physical game, especially midway through that second half ... We started to let some things get to us and we called a timeout and just really wanted to tell the girls to keep their composure and that it's going to come down to one little thing -- securing one rebound, hitting one shot or making one big play."

Shriver on the play of Liburdi: "Marisa had a great game tonight for us. She came in and was a strong post presence that we need her to be all season. I think tonight gave her some confidence to get back going."

Shriver about the play of Ricketts: "Paige was guarding their top player (Spahar), and she had the toughest job on the court tonight ... She's a great asset to have on the team. She never stops and is full-go on every possession ...She is going to work hard and do everything you ask of her on every possession."

Guard Nicole Payne on the team's attitude heading into overtime: "We just knew we had to step it up. We knew we wanted this win a lot more than they did."

Guard Allie Hawkins on her phenomenal overtime: "I tried to just stay confident, handle the ball and do my job. I actually was pretty calm ... I don't know how, but I was."

Post Marissa Liburdi on a near double-double: "I knew I needed to step up and do something for my team because lately I haven't been feeling like I was contributing. For this big game I really wanted to relax, be confident and do what I can for my team."

Liburdi on the big win: "What it comes down to is us coming together and playing as a team. We all trust each other and we all like being around each other on and off the court. I think pulling out these big wins proves that we are capable of anything if we put our minds to it."

Guard Theresa Jackson on hitting the 3-pointer in overtime: "When it's close like that, I honestly think it's almost easier because you don't have time to think, so you just shoot it and hope for the best. I was feeling confident and I know but we needed it, so I let it go and it went."

Guard Paige Ricketts on the role of the underdog: "It's always a little easier to play number one because you feel like you don't have any pressure ... They have things to lose but we don't."

Ricketts on the win: "This feels like the best win ever. It shows that we can play with anybody in the OAC."

UP NEXT

Shriver and company will look to carry the momentum into Saturday's game at Wilmington College (10-8, 5-6 OAC). Heidelberg ended a 5,068-day losing streak to the Quakers earlier this month with a 84-67 victory. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.