SALISBURY, Md. – The Marymount (Va.) University women's basketball team closed out the first half of Capital Athletic Conference play on Wednesday night with an overtime victory at Salisbury University, holding on for a 48-45 final to move to a league-leading 8-1.
Freshman Abby Fisher paced the offense for the game, coming off the bench for a career- and team-high 11 points, including an impressive 75-percent shooting game from behind the arc with a game-high three long balls.
The first half of play was a defensive battle on both ends, seeing a 22-18 score at the half with the Sea Gulls holding the advantage. Through the 20-minute stretch, the Saints forced 14 turnovers including three steals, two by sophomore Nicole Viscuso.
Viscuso opened up the contest with the initial basket, finding her range early from the top of the key for the jumper. Salisbury answered on the other end, but MU didn't hesitate on its next possession, cashing in on a long ball from leading-scorer Fisher for her first of the game.
For the remainder of the first quarter, it was a game of short runs. The Gulls used an eight-point stretch to gain a 10-5 advantage with 2:38 remaining before the Saints put together four-straight points to get back within one. The stretch involved another jumper by Viscuso and two free throws by senior Kievanna Lacey. Salisbury managed to drop in one more bucket at the buzzer, as Marymount trailed by just three at the break, 12-9.
Salisbury hit a small run of its own to end the quarter to retake the lead and head into the locker room with a 22-18 advantage.
Although the third quarter only saw a total of 10 points combined, Marymount knocked in seven of them off two layups by senior Miranda Krott and another three-pointer by Fisher, drawing the score to an even 25-25 headed to the fourth quarter.
The final 10 minutes of regulation saw a swaying of the advantage through the entire stretch, rotating the lead nine total times. Krott claimed that final lead for the Saints with 1:24 remaining on a good pass by sophomore Leah Hurst to the post where Krott came in strong for the finish and the 37-35 lead. A timeout by the Gulls with 22 seconds remaining was enough to draw up a jumper in the paint by Salisbury's Julia McLaughlin to draw the score even at 37-37, which would hold and send the contest to overtime, the first for Marymount all season.
A total of 12 lead changes for the game, the Saints grabbed the 12th on the first points of the extra five minutes off two free throws by Viscuso. Seven free throws through the stretch along with a jumper and a layup by Viscuso and McQueen was enough to hold off the Gulls for the 48-45 victory.
The victory seals up the top spot in the CAC through the first half of play with an 8-1 tally, only falling to the University of Mary Washington, while improving to 13-3 overall.
The women will open up the second half of league play against St. Mary's College of Maryland. Due to weather conditions approaching the East Coast, be sure to check out www.marymountsaints.com for further information on game date and time as it becomes available.