OT Thriller Ends in Loss for Beavers

By: Vinnie Birk - Blackburn College Sports Information

In a game that featured back and forth battle throughout, the Blackburn College Women's Basketball team fell a tad short to the Greenville College Panthers. The game ended with Blackburn on the losing end of a 69-65 overtime decision.

Neither team could surpass a lead of eight points. Greenville led the Beavers by eight early in the game with a score of 15-7. Blackburn gained control and saw their only eight point lead of the game as they went on a 19-3 stretch that ended with six and a half minutes left in the first half. Blackburn would keep the lead going into the intermission by a score of 33-29.

In the early goings of the second half, the deficit for either team never rose above four until the Beavers finally had a five point lead with 10:50 remaining. They had the lead the entire half until Greenville's Emily Gundy hit a three pointer with 6:24 left to hand her team a 54-53 lead.

With Blackburn down two points a little later, Rashonda Willis changed the tides on the Panthers by knocking down a three of her own and stealing the lead right back. Two consecutive baskets by Greenville had them inching closer to victory with under two minutes to play. Down by three, Blackburn's Danique Smith crisply passed the ball over to Shelby Smith in the corner. She put the team on her back and knotted the game up at 60 with 1:38 to play.

Blackburn nor Greenville could find another bucket as overtime was forced. Rashonda Willis made another three on the first possession, but that was about all Blackburn could produce in the extra period. Erin Bell added a bucket, but it couldn't match Greenville's nine points.

Shelby Smith led all scorers with 17 points and Rashonda Willis was right behind her adding 14 of her own. The two of them made seven of the team's eight three-pointers in the game. Willis also added five each of rebounds, steals, and assists, playing an all-around impressive game. Kylie Sparks grabbed the most rebounds for Blackburn and also hit that eighth three-pointer.

The home stand will continue as Principia will come to the Beaver Dome on Tuesday night at 6 p.m.