BABSON PARK, Mass. – The Middlebury College women's basketball team forced overtime by outscoring Eastern Connecticut State University 13-1 in the final minutes of regulation but was unable to capitalize in overtime as the Warriors won their fifth straight game, 66-61, in double overtime Saturday on the second day of Babson College's Judy Pearson'85 memorial Tournament at Staake Gymnasium.
In possession of a solid 12-point lead with four minutes left in regulation, Eastern (9-3) did its best to give the game away by going scoreless from the floor in a 13-1 Middlebury (6-5) run that ended regulation, the Panthers forcing overtime when they connected on their first three-point field goal of the afternoon – a left-side corner jumper off an inbounds pass by Reagan McDonald – that tied the game at 42-all (the game-tying three-pointer made possible when Eastern missed one of two free throws with 13 seconds left).
In the first overtime, the lead changed hands six times. After Middlebury's Alexa Mustafaj tied the game with a right-side runner with 8.5 seconds left, Eastern turned the ball over again on its final possession, but the Panthers airballed an attempted game-winning shot at the buzzer that left the score at 53-all.
The Warriors never trailed in the second overtime, and sealed their first win over Middlebury after three losses in the series when senior All-America forward Anna Barry (Andover) scored six points in the span of a minute and senior guard Julie Keckler (Trumbull) – the program's career leader in free throw percentage – sank five of six from the stripe over the final 39 seconds. In addition to her free throws, Keckler's baseball pass to an unmarked Barry underneath with 53 seconds left in the second overtime gave Eastern its largest lead of overtime, 61-55.
In the second overtime, Middlebury failed on four of six free throws in a one-minute stretch that prevented the Panthers from taking the lead. After Mustafaj sank the first of two free throws with 2:16 left, Barry countered with her six consecutive points. Senior guard Danielle O'Brien (Rockland, MA) set up the first one with a looping pass into the paint to the six-footer that put the Warriors up for good, 57-55. Middlebury committed an unforced turnover on its next possession, and O'Brien again found Barry down low moments later. Barry sank two free throws after being fouled on her shot attempt that made it 59-55 and after Middlebury missed a corner three-point attempt with 55 seconds left, Barry scored on Keckler's long pass that pushed the lead to six, 61-55, with 53 seconds left.
With no lead ever safe enough for the Warriors, Middlebury made it a one-possession game twice in the final 19 seconds, but the Warriors kept the ball in the hands of Keckler, who swished four free throws, the final two coming with three seconds left that determined the final outcome.
For the second straight game, Barry set a career-high in rebounds, following up Friday's 19-point effort with 22 against Middlebury and with her 16 points, gave her a seventh double-double (fourth straight) this year. Barry's rebounding average – now at 13.7 -- ranks her fifth nationally. Last year's LEC Player-of-the-Year, Barry has recorded five of the top single-game rebounding totals this year in the Little East Conference. She also had three blocks, three steals and two assists in 48 minutes Saturday.
Senior forward Mariah Dunn (Meriden) had 15 points (7-of-13 FGs) and six rebounds before being assessed her fifth personal foul with 2:46 left in the second overtime and Eastern leading by one point. Keckler finished with 13 points and five assists.
After missing five of six three-point shots in the first half, O'Brien was 4-of-8 in the second half. She tied her career-highs with a game-high 18 points and five three-pointers and also had four steals and four assists in 44 minutes. From the foul line, Keckler was 7-of-10 and Barry 4-of-5 that helped the Warriors connect on 15 of 21 in the game.
Behind Barry, Eastern outrebounded Middlebury by 16, but 11 offensive rebounds translated into only four extra-chance points. Eastern's starters played all but 26 of 250 minutes – averaging 43 of a possible 50 minutes -- as the Panthers' bench players piled up a 31-0 scoring advantage over four Eastern substitutes who totalled 26 minutes. The Warriors survived 25 turnovers (17 of them unforced) – their second-most this season – in escaping with their second tournament win.
Mustafaj of Middlebury led all players with 24 points to go along with six rebounds, three assists and two steals in 50 minutes, with teammate Augusta Dixon pulling down 12 rebounds and scoring 13 points in 43 minutes.
In two tournament games which included a 72-45 victory Friday over Endicott College, Dunn and O'Brien each averaged 14.5 points and Barry 14.0 points and 20.5 rebounds with five total steals. Dunn was 13-of-25 from the floor, O'Brien 8-of-21 from distance with six steals. Keckler was 7-of-10 from the foul line and had nine assists. Sophomore Taylor Salato (East Haven), who had five rebounds against Middlebury and replaced Dunn when she fouled out, averaged 6.0 rebounds in the tournament and senior guard Jenna Serrantino (Cromwell) averaged 6.5. As a team, Eastern was 26-of-34 from the stripe (76 percent).
The double-overtime game was the team's second in as many years, the Warriors prevailing, 73-63 against conference opponent University of Southern Maine last year on Senior Day at Geissler Gymnasium. In similar fashion to the Middlebury game, the Huskies forced overtime by sinking a corner three-point field goal, and Keckler forced the second OT session with a three-pointer of her own with the shot clock expiring. Keckler and O'Brien opened the second OT period with three-point field goals, Eastern eventually outscoring USM 17-7 over those final five minutes.
Eastern (3-0 LEC) visits two-time defending Little East Conference champion Rhode Island College (10-2 overall, 4-0 LEC) Wednesday at 4 p.m. The Anchorwomen have won nine straight. The Warriors handed RIC its only LEC regular-season loss last year and ended its 24-game LEC regular-season win streak with a 60-57 overtime decision at The Murray Center. In overtime in that game, Barry and Keckler were a combined 8-of-8 from the free throw line and combined for all ten of Eastern's points.