WKU Women’s Basketball survived the Jacksonville State Gamecocks 68-64 in an overtime thriller Saturday.
It was a breakout night for senior guard Alexis Mead as she led the Lady Toppers with a career-high 29 points and nine rebounds.
“At the end of the day I just really wanted to win,” Mead said about her career night. “I think we really wanted to win and just like last game anyone can step up and make those plays and I was just in the position to do that today.”
Head Coach Greg Collins said he learned that there was not any quit in his group in the first overtime game of the season.
“There was just a fraction of a second where they looked down, but in a second they were chatting about, ‘let’s win this game,’” Collins said.
First Half
Both teams traded points back and forth beginning the first quarter as at the first media timeout it was all knotted up at 8-8. Coming out of the media timeout it was all Lady Toppers going on a 9-3 run and ending the first quarter with a 17-11 lead. The offense came in bunches for both Mead with six points and junior guard Josie Gilvin who poured in seven first-quarter points.
JSU came out firing from three in the second quarter, connecting on two early to pull the deficit to just two going into the media timeout 25-23. JSU continued their great second-quarter field goal percentage shooting 50% and tying it up 29-29 going into the half.
The Lady Toppers relied heavily on their bench with Gilvin, Mead, and senior forward Destiny Salary picking up two first-half fouls.
“The strength of our team is our team,” Collins said. “Salma (Khedr) came in and played aggressively, Mya (Pratcher) came in and gave us huge minutes, and Mackenzie (Chatfield), was a great call by the staff to sub her in. Really it clicked, she is a great decision maker and she is steady.”
Second Half
It was a slow start for both teams coming out of half time combining for just six points in the first six minutes of play in the third with the Lady Toppers holding on to a narrow 33-31 lead. After the timeout, a brief 7-0 run from the Lady Toppers gave them a 40-31 lead. JSU countered the run with a 13-3 run of their own to end the third quarter with a 44-43 lead.
The Lady Toppers were in control in the fourth taking a 51-47 lead with less than four minutes to play. Despite the small lead for the Lady Toppers, neither team was able to pull away, as JSU pulled it within one with two minutes to play.
The Gamecocks would not go away taking back the lead with just 40 seconds left 56-55. With just seven seconds left in regulation Salary came up big hitting a free throw to tie the game at 56-56.
Overtime
In overtime, neither team was given an inch trading points back and forth. The teams were tied at 61-61 with two minutes left.
It was the Mead show in OT. She scored seven of the team’s nine, taking a 65-61 lead with just 49 seconds left. The defense came up huge for the Lady Toppers as two Mackenzie Chatfield steals sealed the deal and the Lady Toppers survived 68-64 in a thriller.
Next up on the schedule for the Lady Toppers are three away games that will start against rival Middle Tennessee State on Saturday, Feb. 15.
Sports Reporter Peyton Reid can be reached at [email protected].
