(Gettysburg, Pa.) – The weather outside was a bit chaotic on Wednesday night. So it was only appropriate to have some chaos inside as well as Dickinson College and Gettysburg played a double-overtime thriller in Centennial Conference women's basketball. The Bullets scored with 19 seconds remaining to tie the game, 52-52, at the end of regulation. The teams played even through another five minute stanza, still knotted at 58 at the end of the first overtime. The Bullets capitalized on some early breathing room in the second overtime to escape with a 71-63 victory at home.
The Devils jumped out to a 7-2 lead but the Bullets answered quickly with tie the game at seven, just four minutes into the contest. The first half remained close until an 8-0 run put the Bullets in front, 19-9, with 8:28 remaining in the half. Dickinson responded down the stretch, pulling within a field-goal at the break, trailing 25-23.
The second half was tight the entire way with neither team able to build more than a four-point advantage. Senior Alesha Sisco (Effort, Pa./Blair Academy) drained a pair of free throws with 31 seconds to play in regulation, putting the Devils in front, 52-50.
Junior Julie McGrory drove to the basket for a lay-up to knot the game again with just 19 seconds to play. The Devils were unable to net the game-winner on their final possession, sending the game into overtime.
Alyssa Ousler put Gettysburg on the board first in overtime, converting a pair of free throws at the 4:13 mark. Junior Taylor Miller (Red Lion, Pa./Red Lion) hit one-of-two from the line just 30 second later to cut the Bullet lead to 54-53. The teams traded possessions before senior Annie O'Donnell (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe) sank a huge three-pointer to put the Devils on top, 56-54, with just 2:08 on the clock.
Senior Carole Dempsey (Potomac, Md./Winston Churchill) answered a Mary Spicer jumper with a lay-up to keep the Devils in front, 58-56, with just over a minute to play. McGrory saved the Bullets again, hitting a jump shot with 28 seconds left. The Devils had a final shot but Gettysburg held, forcing a second overtime period.
The Bullets jumped in front early in the second overtime and would hold on for a key win in the increasingly competitive Centennial Conference race. McGrory followed a Caitlin Moser lay-up with a basket and a free throw to put Gettysburg in front, 63-58. McGrory and Moser would score all but three of the Bullets' 13 points in the second overtime to secure the win.
McGrory finished with game and career-highs of 25 points and 11 rebounds to lead the way for Gettysburg (14-4, 9-4 CC). Oursler added 14 points, five rebounds and five blocked shots for the Bullets.
Dempsey led the Red Devils (7-10, 5-8 CC) with 19 points, six rebounds and four steals. Miller tallied 12 points, five rebounds, four steals and a pair of assists while Sisco added 12 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Sophomore Dana Walsh (Malvern, Pa./Great Valley) recorded a team-high 10 rebounds. Classmate Bridget Borgese (Swarthmore, Pa./Notre Dame de Namur) added nine rebounds, including six on the offensive end, scoring five points and recording two steals. O'Donnell knocked-down a pair of three-pointers, finishing with nine points, adding a pair of assists and two steals as well.
The Red Devils are on the road again on Saturday, traveling to Ursinus College for a 1:00 start in a double-header with the men.