MOUNT VERNON, Iowa. - The Illinois College women's basketball team opened Midwest Conference play visiting Cornell College Tuesday evening. The Lady Blues fell to the Rams in overtime by the final score of 61- 64. IC now stands at 3-4 overall and 0-1 in the MWC.
The Lady Blues won the tip-off and started the game on a 9-0 run on back-to-back three-point baskets from
Madison Webb. Twenty seconds later, IC's
Kendra Bass battled through the contact and converted the three-point play by knocking down the free-throw that took the 9-0 lead.
Cornell's Heidi Jorgensen eventually stopped the run with a three-point basket. Shortly later, IC's
Gracie Kizer responded with a three-point basket of her own that made the score 12-3. However, Cornell closed out the first quarter on a 9-0 run that tied the score at 12 apiece.
Just over a minute in the second, IC's
Maya Smith eliminated the Ram run with a successful three-point basket that gave the Lady Blues the 15-14 advantage. Each team would exchange baskets as
Jayln Patterson added a jump shot that gave IC the 19-18 lead. However, the Rams closed out the first half on a 12-1 run that created the halftime score of 20-30.
In the early minutes of the third, each team went back-and-forth exchanging baskets as Kizer's second three-point basket of the night made the score 26-37. The Rams increased the lead to 16 on back-to-back three-point baskets that made the score 26-42. With just over a minute remaining in the quarter, Cornell's Randi Wright increased the deficit to 20 with a jump shot. IC closed out the quarter with two baskets from Patterson and
Sarra Faust that made the score 30-46.
In the fourth, IC continued to battle back and erupted for a 17-0 run as Bass scored six points in the run. Also in the run,
Ashlyn Wightman, Patterson, and Faust each added a basket.
Anna McKee cut the deficit down to two at 44-46 with a fantastic lay-in. At the 5:06 mark, Smith drained a deep three-point basket that gave the Lady Blues the lead at 47-46. Shortly later, Smith increased the IC lead to three at 49-46 with a layup. However, Cornell responded with a 5-0 run where Tenley Cavanagh gave the Rams the 49-51 advantage with a three-point basket.
IC trailed by four points at 52-56 in the final minute of regulation when Wightman cut the deficit down to three after splitting a pair of free-throws. With just 29 seconds remaining on the clock, Bass drained a deep three-point basket that tied the game at 56-56. IC had the last second shot that came just short by Smith that forced overtime.
In the overtime period, Bass scored the first four points for IC that tied the game at 60 apiece. Shortly later, Webb gave IC the 61-60 advantage after splitting a pair of free-throws. With 28 seconds remaining in overtime period, Cornell's Ani'ja Simmons gave the Rams the 61-62 lead with a mid-range jump shot. The Rams increased their lead to three at 64-61 on a pair of free-throws from Mia Murray that generated the final score.
For the game, IC was led in scoring by Bass with 17 points as she added nine rebounds. Patterson contributed 10 points and six rebounds while Webb had a near double-double performance as she led IC in rebounding with 10 and added nine points.
The Lady Blues will continue MWC play with a visit to Ripon College on Saturday, December 2 with tip-off scheduled for 3:00 PM in Ripon, Wisconsin.
