Lady Eagles fall 79-75 in OT at Texas-Permian Basin
ODESSA, Texas (Dec. 1, 2012) – Teisha King scored 27 points, including a clinching basket and free throw in overtime, to rally Texas-Permian Basin to a 79-75 win over Oklahoma Christian on Saturday afternoon at the Falcon Dome.
OC (4-5) led by five points with 1:12 left in regulation, but a 3-pointer by King with 44 seconds left and two free throws by Briannah Matthews with 2.9 seconds left allowed the Falcons (6-2) to force overtime in the first meeting between the new Heartland Conference foes.
In the extra period, OC led on three occasions, the last at 73-72 after Skyler Newberry’s basket with 3:17 left. King made two free throws with 2:39 left to put the Falcons ahead for good. OC misfired on its next two possessions and Taniqua Ards scored with 56 seconds left to extend UTPB’s lead to 76-73.
Roz Hamilton’s basket with 37 seconds left pulled OC within one, but King hit a floating jumper with 17 seconds left. Katy O’Steen missed a 3-point attempt at the other end. King rebounded and hit a free throw with :09 left for the Falcons.
The bulk of UTPB’s offense came from three players – King, Matthews (23 points, 12 rebounds) and Ards (20 points, 11 rebounds). The Falcons dominated on the boards, outrebounding OC 61-40. UTPB grabbed 24 offensive rebounds and those second-chance opportunities proved to be decisive down the stretch. UTPB’s rebounding allowed the Falcons to overcome a 3-for-24 3-point shooting outing.
O’Steen, OC’s starting center, led OC with 15 points but failed to shoot a free throw for the second straight game. Sydney Hill added 14 points and Hamilton scored 11. The Lady Eagles finished 27 of 71 from the field (38 percent) and 5 of 28 from 3-point range (17.9 percent)
OC’s late-game frustration overshadowed an otherwise positive second-half performance by the Lady Eagles. UTPB led 44-33 with 15:45 left but the Lady Eagles – playing their third game in as many days – rallied with a 17-3 run and led for most of the final 10 minutes of regulation.
The Lady Eagles will return home for a game on Thursday against Mid-America Christian.
