Women's Basketball Survives OT Thriller Against King's
Gab Giordano posted a double-double with 19 points, 11 rebounds

Women's Basketball Survives OT Thriller Against King's

Women's Basketball - 11/27/2016 8:03:00 PM

Box Score Box Score

Scranton, Pa. – Marywood University women's basketball eked out a victory in the closing seconds for the second time in as many days for a 72-70 overtime win over King's College Sunday at the inaugural Cross County Challenge at the University of Scranton's Long Center. It's the Pacers' first overtime victory since a Feb. 8, 2010 game versus Rosemont College.

Lisa Steakin connected on a runner for the game-winning basket with 12 seconds remaining in the overtime period. Jordan Barth blocked a shot with five seconds left, and Gab Giordano hit a free-throw shot in the closing seconds.

Giordano posted a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds that were both game highs. She led nearly every category in the box score with six assists and three steals.  

Natasha Hessling finished with 17 points, including 14 first-half points. Catie Nealon made 6 of 10 shots for a season-best 15 points.

Alyssa Olson added eight rebounds, and Steakin's heroics were part of a nine-point effort.

King's Olivia Hoffman continued to be a thorn in the Pacers' side with a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds. Alexis Steeber finished with 17 points. Kayla Feairheller and Rebecca Prociak each tallied 10.

The Pacers (3-2) dominated the game, leading for 37:15. The Monarchs (1-4) led for just 3:18 and never more than two points.

King's came back from a four-point deficit in the final two minutes of regulation. Hoffman hit a pair of jumpers to send the game into overtime at a 59-59 score.

Nealon made a pair of key shots to lift the Pacers in overtime. Trailing by one, she hit a 3-pointer from the corner to take a 64-62 advantage. After Hoffman gave the Monarchs a lead, Nealon swished a jump shot to reclaim the lead with 99 seconds left.

Feairheller responded with a 3-pointer for a 68-66 King's lead with 89 seconds remaining. After Hessling made one of two free throws, Giordano locked down a defensive rebound and made both shots at the line.

Hoffman gave King's its last lead (70-69) with 31 seconds left, just before Steakin's game-winning shot.

Marywood had 14 of the first 18 points of the game to take a double-digit lead within the first six minutes.

The Pacers made 39.7 percent of their shots, compared to the Monarchs' 41.8 percent. Free-throw shooting proved to be the difference in the contest. The Pacers made 12 of 17 (70.6 percent) shots from the charity stripe. King's struggled at the line by making just 43.5 percent of its shots.

Marywood will play in its home opener Wednesday versus Centenary University at 6:00 pm.
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