The Centre College women's basketball team's season came to an end Friday, Feb. 23 in Jackson, Miss. with a 69-68 overtime loss to Hendrix College in the first round of the SAA Tournament, hosted by Millsaps College.

The Colonels entered the tournament after tying both Millsaps and Rhodes for the regular season championship. Because of the tie-breaker, Centre was named the third seed.

Things started well as senior Jenna Mire (Knoxville, Tenn.) opened the scoring with a three-pointer. Junior Paige Baechle (Gallatin, Tenn.) made a lay-up and senior Bridget Winstead (Franklin, Tenn.) added a free throw, and the Colonels led 6-0.

Hendrix (5-21) answered with a 7-0 run to go in front by a point just under five minutes into the game. Centre scored eight of the next 13 points and regained the lead at 14-12.

The Warriors responded with another run, this one 8-2, to take a 20-16 lead at the nine-minute mark.

The Colonels pulled within one multiple times including 26-25 with 5:22 to play in the opening half and tied the game at 30-30 with 1:10 to go, but Katie Coughran made a lay-up with 19 seconds to give Hendrix a 32-30 edge at the break.

Centre scored eight of the first 10 points in the second half for a 38-34 lead, but once again, the Warriors had an answer scoring nine unanswered points to go back in front 43-38.

The two teams continued to go back and forth with neither squad leading by more than five until Katie Broberg nailed a three at the 5:26 mark to give Hendrix a 58-52 lead.

Trailing 61-55, the Colonels closed the game on a 7-1 run and tied the game when senior Chelsea Benham (Taswell, Ind.) made a lay-up with five seconds left to force the extra period.

The Warriors made three free throws to open the overtime period, but Mire and sophomore Maggie Hartlage (Louisville, Ky.) hit back-to-back jumpers to give Centre a 66-65 lead with 1:55 left.

Hendrix scored the next three points, but Benham tied the game at 68-68 with 22 seconds remaining. Estrella Flores was then fouled while shooting a three-pointer with seven seconds on the clock. After making the first, she missed the next two, but the Colonels were unable to score as time ran out.

Hartlage led Centre with 14 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Benham finished her four-year career with 12 points and nine rebounds, and freshman Alexis Guy added 11 points off the bench.

Flores and Kaitlin McNeill paced Hendrix with 15 points and 12 points off the bench. McNeill also had six rebounds. 

After a slow start, the Colonels won 11 of their final 13 games to finish the season 14-11.