Women's Basketball takes 1st-place Embry-Riddle to double OT
Lady Keelhaulers couldn't hang on to their eight-point lead against the Eagles in a 69-62, double-overtime loss, but played one of their best conference games of the season.
Cal maritime (7-10, 1-6) was without leading scorer Tal Webb going into the game, who injured her MCL during the week, and while it may have effected their ability to close out the game the Lady Keelhaulers played one of their best games of the season against Embry-Riddle (16-3, 6-1).
The Keelhaulers were already coming off of a narrow loss to Benedictine-Mesa, where they climbed back into the game from a double-digit deficit coming up just short in a 60-55 defeat to the Redhawks.
But Saturday Cal Maritime jumped out to an early seven-point lead with Samantha James getting going early for seven points, three rebounds and two assists but Keelhaulers trailed by two at that the end of the first quarter. Despite trailing by as many as six points at one point Cal Maritime regained the lead on a basket by junior Valiceia Horne just a little over two mintues into the second quarter.
The Keelhaulers trailed by just one point at the half and you could feel Cal Maritime gaining confidence the longer they went back and forth with Embry-Riddle. Cal Maritime led by as many as seven in the third quarter after senior Katherine Freitas put the Keelhaulers up 42-35 with 3:05 left in the third.
The Lady Keelhaulers would lead by five as the fourth quarter began and with 5:39 remaining in regulation a pair of Sam James free throws put Cal Maritime up by eight. But the Keelhaulers would struggle at the free-throw line the rest of the way and have trouble getting off quality shots in the final five minutes, coupled with an 8-0 run for the Eagles to tie the game and force overtime.
Cal Maritime would lead by four in the first OT after a pair of Nneka Anyaoha free throws with 2:06 left and would again lead by four after Miryam Jimenez hit one of two free throws with 45 seconds left. But the Keelhaulers were just 3 of 8 from free throw line overall in the overtime and it would again allow the Eagles to go on a run to finish the period, capped by a streaking Embry-Riddle player getting behind the Keelhauler defense for an easy lay up to force a second overtime.
The Lady Keelhaulers would never gain the lead again as the Eagles outscored Cal Maritime 10-3 in the second overtime for the 69-62 loss for Cal Maritime. James led the team with 21 points and tacked on five rebounds and three steals. Freitas finished with 16 points, six rebounds, and four blocked shots and Junior Tyra Fai'malo led the Keelhaulers with seven rebounds.
The Keelhaulers couldn't get a three pointer to drop in the second half or overtime periods and shot just 53% from the free-throw line on the night. The teams were dead even in turnovers but Embry-Riddle won the rebounding battle by seven.
UP NEXT: The Lady Keelhaulers will look to even up the season series with Simpson University with a 5:30 tip off in Redding, Calif. this Saturday, January 26.