WILKES-BARRE, PA (February 14, 2023) – Junior Kiersten Krouse put up a career- and game-high 19 points, but her efforts came up just short as the King's College women's basketball team dropped a heartbreaking overtime loss at Wilkes University, 56-54, on Tuesday night in Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) play. With the loss, the Monarchs conclude their 2022-23 regular season 8-17 overall and 7-9 in the MAC Freedom, while the Colonels improve to 8-16 and 7-8 in the conference.
King's (8-17, 7-9 MAC Freedom) opened the game on a 5-0 run before Wilkes (8-16, 7-8 MAC Freedom) got on the board with 6:01 to go in the first. The teams would battle it out to the end of the period with King's ahead, 15-12, thanks to a three from junior Caileigh Costello just before the buzzer. The second quarter would start with two ties and two lead changes before the Monarchs went up by six, 25-19, on a three from senior Cailin Wilson with 6:49 to go in the half, but the Colonels would keep King's close as the Monarchs went into the halftime locker room ahead, 29-26.
The two teams were neck-and-neck throughout the third with neither team leading by more than two points before Wilkes used a 6-0 spurt to end the third with the 40-36 edge over King's. The Monarchs would come back to take the lead, 43-42, off a three from junior Brenna Costello with 5:58 to play in regulation. King's would lead by as much as four points, 50-46, thanks to a jumper from first year Kathy Shepherd with 1:30 remaining, but a pair of free throws from the Colonels and a layup with 19 ticks left in the fourth would send the rivalry match up to overtime with the score knotted at 50 apiece.
Krouse would record all four points for the Monarchs in the extra time, hitting a pair of free throws in the first 21 seconds of the period before tying the game at 54 with 1:41 left, but a driving Colonel found space in the lane to connect in the paint with four seconds left to give Wilkes the 56-54 edge. King's one final shot, but out of the timeout a three from Shepherd came up just short as the Monarchs fell, 56-54, in overtime in the MAC Freedom contest.
Krouse's career-high 19 points came on 6-of-12 shooting, while adding six rebounds and two assists. Caileigh Costello also finished in double figures with 10 points and two assists, while senior Sarah Heiskell-Mann collected a team-high nine boards. Shepherd had a balanced effort of eight rebounds and six points, while Brenna Costello tallied six caroms, five points, a block, and a steal.
The Colonels saw Brianna Horton lead three in double figures with 13 points, while Yamirelis Matos posted a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds.
The Monarchs shot 31.5 percent (17-54) from the field in the loss while pulling down 44 team rebounds. Their defensive efforts forced 16 Colonels turnovers and limited Wilkes to 29.0 percent (20-69) shooting from the field and 21.7 percent (5-23) from three.
--MONARCHS--