BALTIMORE – Johns Hopkins University's Lillian Scott capped a career-night with a free throw with four seconds left in overtime and junior Emily Gibbons' (Annapolis, Md./Severn School) last-second jumper was off the mark as the Blue Jays managed to knock off the Bullets 84-83 Wednesday night.
Gettysburg (14-5, 10-4 CC) saw its six-game winning streak come to a close in its first overtime game of the season. The Bullets dropped to third in the Centennial Conference standings with a matchup against frontrunner Haverford College (15-5, 12-3 CC) looming on Saturday.
Gibbons tied the program's season record with her 15th double-double, netting 25 points and grabbing 17 rebounds. She finished 9-of-16 from the field and 6-of-8 from the free throw line. Sophomore Emma Dorshimer (Jenkintown, Pa./Jenkintown) produced her ninth 20-point effort with 26 after finishing 9-of-20 from the floor with a trio of three-pointers. Dorshimer also nabbed eight rebounds.
Scott finished just two points shy of Johns Hopkins' (9-10, 8-7 CC) scoring record and three points shy of the Centennial single-game mark with a career-high 37 points. She posted all but six of her points in the second half and overtime and finished 12-of-21 from the floor, 5-of-10 from three-point distance, and 8-of-9 from the free throw line overall.
Gettysburg trailed in the opening minutes before establishing control late in the first quarter. A three-pointer by Gibbons sparked a 15-2 run and helped give the Bullets a 22-15 lead heading into the second period.
The advantage reached double-figures at 33-22 on an old-fashioned three-point play by freshman Ashley Gehrin (Chester, N.J./West Morris Mendham) with 5:22 remaining in the first half. The lead grew to as many as 15 before settling at 10 (40-30) heading into the locker room.
Johns Hopkins charged back in the third quarter, utilizing a 16-3 run to seize a 46-45 lead with 3:40 left in the frame. Gettysburg answered with the next six points, but the Blue Jays refused to back down and trailed by one (56-55) entering the final period.
Scott handed her team the lead with a three-pointer to start the fourth quarter. The back-and-forth battled raged down to the final minute when Gettysburg grabbed a 71-67 lead following a pair of free throws by Gibbons. Scott came right back with two free throws of her own to pull her team within two.
With time running out on the shot clock, junior Kendra Meredith (Boyds, Md./Northwest) was fouled with 23 seconds left in regulation. The junior hit her second freebie to put Gettysburg in front 72-69.
Johns Hopkins wisely gave the ball to Scott for the last shot, but her initial try from way beyond the arc was blocked by freshman Kiera Cesareo (Randolph, N.J./Randolph). Scott tracked down the deflection and tried another attempt which swished through the net with two seconds left. Gettysburg did not get a shot off in the remaining time.
The Bullets seemed poised to run away at the start of overtime as a lay-up by Meredith and three-pointer by Dorshimer made it 80-75 with 2:41 to play. Gettysburg missed three free throw shots in the final 1:42 and Scott took advantage, hitting two lay-ups and two free throws to put her team ahead 83-82 with 55 seconds left.
Meredith swiped the ball away from Scott and drew a trip to the line with 30 seconds to play. She hit her first attempt to tie the game. Both teams committed turnovers in the final 29 seconds, but only the Blue Jays managed to take advantage with Scott hitting her first free throw for the game-winner with four seconds left.
Gettysburg drew up a play following a timeout with a long in-bounds pass from the side finding its way to Gibbons on the opposite baseline. The junior's shot caromed off the side of the rim and despite coming up with the rebound, the Bullets were unable to get another attempt off in time.
Gettysburg finished 30-of-68 (44.1 percent) and Johns Hopkins was 32-of-77 (41.6 percent) from the field. The Bullets out-rebounded the Blue Jays 46-43 and the hosts held a 23-5 edge in second-chance points.
Gettysburg hosts Haverford this Saturday at 5 p.m.