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WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM FALLS IN OVERTIME HEARTBREAKER AT SIUE, 67-66

January 26, 2013

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EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – The University of Tennessee at Martin women’s basketball team battled down to the wire this afternoon at SIU Edwardsville, but the Skyhawks fell 67-66 in an overtime contest at the Vadalabene Center.

UT Martin (10-12, 5-3 Ohio Valley Conference) led by nine points in the first half and held a one-point advantage at the halftime break. Rickiesha Bryant sank a free throw with 13 seconds left in the second half to force overtime, but SIU Edwardsville was able to outscore the Skyhawks nine to eight in the extra frame.

Jasmine Newsome led UT Martin with 17 points today, adding a career-best seven steals to go along with five rebounds and three assists. Heather Butler drained four 3-pointers on her way to 14 points, while freshman Sydney Vanlandingham (10 points) reached double-figures for the fourth time in her young career.

Schubert and Bryant each added nine points for the Skyhawks, who forced SIU Edwardsville into 23 turnovers this afternoon.

For SIU Edwardsville (10-10, 4-4 OVC), Raven Berry registered a double-double with game-highs of 19 points and 11 rebounds. Tierny Austin also tallied a double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds), while Jessie Wendt scored 12 points off the bench. Michaela Herrod added nine points and 11 rebounds while making the game-winning free throw with five seconds left in overtime.

“We just couldn’t finish layups and free throws,” UT Martin head coach Kevin McMillan said. “That was the difference in the game.”

A three-pointer in the right corner by Katie Schubert at the 19:23 mark opened the game’s scoring. After SIU Edwardsville evened the score at 3-all, the Skyhawks unreeled a 9-1 run, capped off by a three-pointer by Butler that put UT Martin ahead 12-4 with 15:39 to play in the first half.

Another Schubert trey at the 13:37 mark gave the Skyhawks their biggest lead of the game at 15-6, but SIU Edwardsville answered with an 8-2 run to get within three points with just under eight minutes to play before halftime.

UT Martin would extend its lead back out to six before a 6-0 Cougar run tied the score at 22-22 at the 2:35 mark. Newsome responded with an old-fashioned three-point play just 24 seconds later to give the Skyhawks a three-point cushion.

A Vanlandingham trifecta at the 1:11 mark pushed UT Martin’s lead out to 28-24, but the Cougars closed out the first half by scoring five of the last seven points to make the score 30-29 at the break.

Newsome’s nine points led UT Martin at the half, while Berry tallied 11 points to pace SIU Edwardsville, who were forced into 13 turnovers in the first 20 minutes.

SIU Edwardsville accounted for the first four points of the second half, taking its first lead in the process. A pair of Newsome free throws and a three-pointer by Vanlandingham tilted the score back in UT Martin’s favor (35-33), but the Cougars scored six unanswered points to go on top by a 39-35 margin at the 12:45 mark.

The Skyhawks would soon snare the lead soon thereafter, thanks to an 11-0 run over a stretch of 3:45. Vanlandingham was responsible for four straight points during the spurt that resulted in a seven-point UT Martin advantage (46-39) with 8:46 left to play in regulation.

However, SIU Edwardsville used a 7-0 run to knot the score at 46-all with six minutes remaining. The score would be tied on three occasions over a span of 1:28 until a Newsome free throw and Butler three-pointer lifted the Skyhawks to a 55-51 advantage with three minutes to go in the second half.

The lead would remain at four until Austin scored five straight points for the Cougars, giving SIU Edwardsville a 58-57 lead with 90 seconds remaining. Bryant stepped to the free throw line and made one of two attempts from the charity stripe with 13 seconds left in regulation. The Skyhawks then forced a steal as a result of a strong defensive stand to force the extra period.

Both teams traded three-pointers in the early stages of overtime – resulting in a 61-61 tie. Another tie soon followed before SIU Edwardsville took a three-point lead (66-63) with 44 seconds to play. Newsome made a contested three-pointer 23 seconds later to even the score at 66-66.

With five seconds remaining, a foul on UT Martin was called – sending Herrod to the free throw line. She made the first shot and missed the second, but the Skyhawks couldn’t get off a shot as time expired.

UT Martin resumes play on Monday, Jan. 28 when it travels to Eastern Illinois. Tip-off at Lantz Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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