DANVILLE, Ky. – Centre women's basketball went toe-to-toe with Southern Athletic Association rival Rhodes Saturday afternoon inside Alumni Gymnasium, before falling by an 81-74 decision in overtime.
Abigail Wehby's layup in the closing seconds of regulation erased a late eight-point deficit and forced an extra session, but the visiting Lynx (4-0) had the final say by handling the Colonels (0-2) in overtime.
Wehby shined for Centre, totaling 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. Rhodes had five players in double figures, led by Alli Mayeux's 17 points.
HIGHLIGHTS
- After not leading at any point in Friday's contest, Centre opened the scoring on consecutive buckets from
Ellen Hicks and
Josie Thacker.
- The first quarter seesawed back and forth – featuring 10 lead changes and five ties – but a last-second basket from Rhodes' A'niya Lagarde gave the visitors a slight 18-17 edge heading to the second.
- Centre's defense stepped up in the final minutes prior to halftime, as Rhodes failed to convert a field goal across the final 5:24 of the second quarter. The Colonels used that time to turn a 28-22 deficit into a 31-30 halftime lead.
- The Colonels kept up the pressure throughout the third, helped in part by steal-and-score layups from both
Madison Marcum and
Presley Chirico.
- With the game tied at 54-54 with less than five minutes to play, Rhodes hit the gas on a 13-5 run to take an eight-point advantage with under two minutes remaining.
- Wehby led a furious comeback bid for Centre, scoring the team's final six points to force a 69-69 tie. Her last layup came with just six seconds on the clock.
- The Lynx quickly took control in overtime, using a 10-1 stretch to seal the win.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- There were 10 ties and 13 lead changes throughout the 45 minutes.
- Hicks,
Rachel Jennings and
Payton Herold each finished with nine points.
Emma Rose Vincent led the team with nine boards, while Thacker had eight and Hicks and Wehby had seven apiece.
- Centre only had five turnovers compared to Rhodes' 13, leading to a 14-3 advantage in points off turnovers.
- The Colonels scored 48 points in the paint, 11 fastbreak points and 10 second chance points.
UP NEXT
Centre's next scheduled game is Saturday, Jan. 30, on the road against Millsaps at 5 p.m. ET.
