The No. 20 Freed-Hardeman University Lady Lions saw a 15-point fourth quarter lead evaporate against the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy (Mo.) Eutectics who forced overtime. The Lady Lions bounced back to get their season’s first win 80-71 in overtime.
The first quarter heralded the tight matchup with neither team leading by more than two possessions. Freed-Hardeman (1-1) got on the board first with back-to-back layups from Elli Chumley and Kalea Fleming-Eckerle. Carissa Curtis and Brooklyn Crouch would help the cause with 3-pointers each; however, UHSP’s two-time first-team All-American Grace Beyer tallied nine points to keep the Eutectics close with the Lady Lions leading 19-15 after the first 10 minutes.
The second quarter proved to be a 3-point contest with UHSP (1-1) and FHU connecting for four triples each. After Ragean Purvine’s three gave FHU a six-point edge, but that lead evaporated after the Eutectics drained three unanswered 3-pointers to take a 27-24 lead. Curtis would battle back with seven straight points of her own to give the Lady Lions a 32-27 lead with 3:10 left before the break. Chumley last-second layup gave FHU a 39-31 lead at intermission.
Where the second quarter was all about range, the third was a layup line for FHU with Kaylee Odom bucketing six points off of layups, with Crouch and Purvine joining Kelsey Bender to give FHU a 14-point edge moving into the final quarter with a 54-40 lead.
Alaina Stiles’ back-to-back layups in the final frame gave the Lady Lions their largest lead at 15 points, but the Eutuctics chipped away with a 15-2 run before Beyers’ layup with 25 ticks left knotted the game 62-62. Free throws from both sides kept the scores level after 40 minutes with an overtime needed to break the 65-65 tie.
FHU allowed just two field goals in the extra period while going 4-5 from the floor to help them win 80-72.
The Lady Lions grabbed 10 offensive boards to total 15 second chance points. The FHU defense also was stifling, forcing 17 UHSP turnovers and converting those to 19 points off of turnovers.
Carissa Curtis led the Lady Lion offense with 18 points, followed closely by Kaylee Odom’s 17-point effort. Brooklyn Crouch chipped in with 10 points. Odom led FHU’s rebounding effort with seven boards, while Raegan Purvine dished out a team-high five assists.
