Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Kentucky
Kentucky Outlasts Falcons, 66-62 in OT
January 02, 2006 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 2, 2006
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The University of Kentucky made six free throws in the overtime period, lifting the host Wildcats to a 66-62 overtime victory over the Bowling Green State University women's basketball team Monday night (Jan. 2). The non-conference game was held at Memorial Coliseum.
With the win, UK improves to 10-3 on the year. The Falcons end the non-league portion of the schedule at 9-2.
Junior Ali Mann had a game-high 24 points for the Brown and Orange. Mann had a double-double, with a BG-high 11 rebounds on the night.
 Liz Honegger blocks a shot attempt by Kentucky's Eleia Roddy as the Falcons' Jasmine McCall looks on (photo courtesy UKAthletics.com)  |
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For the Wildcats, Samantha Mahoney had 17 points, while Sarah Elliott added 15 and Jenny Pfeiffer 13. Mahoney, like Honegger, was held scoreless in the first half before erupting in the second.
The game started slowly, as the teams combined for just two points in the first four-plus minutes. Those points came on a driving layup by Falcon sophomore Kate Achter at the 17:53 mark. BG's defense forced turnovers on three of UK's first four possessions, and the `Cats had five turnovers by the first media timeout.
Mann split a pair of free throws to give BG a three-point lead, then doubled that advantage, taking an Achter pass and hitting a three-pointer five minutes into the game. Pfeiffer was fouled on a three-point attempt and hit all three free throws at the 14:42 mark to put the Wildcats on the board.
A nifty left-to-right drive across the lane by Horne resulted in a one-hander and a UK foul. Horne completed the three-point play to give the visitors a 9-3 lead.
The Wildcats finally hit a basket, on a triple by LaQwesha Gamble with 6:57 elapsed in the contest. Prior to that hoop, the hosts had been 0-for-5 with the five turnovers.
In addition to her point and rebound totals, Mann also led the Falcons in charges taken, with two. The first resulted in a foul on Jennifer Humphrey midway through the half. Less than a minute later, Horne picked Pfeiffer's pocket at midcourt and worked a give-and-go with Achter. The play resulted in an Achter layup for an 11-6 BG lead.
Humphrey scored at the shot-clock buzzer, but Horne hit another hoop for the visitors. Then, however, BGSU was held without a point for the next four-and-a-half minutes, ad UK scored nine-straight points to take the lead for the first time.
During that stretch, however, Humphrey was called for another offensive foul against Mann - Humphrey's third foul of the game - and was forced to head to the bench. The `Cats, however, took the lead on Pfeiffer's triple, then went ahead by a 17-13 count on a foul-line jumper by Elliott.
Mann ended the UK run with a jumper at the 3:55 mark, then hit a turnaround jumper a minute later to tie the game at 17-all. Mann scored seven consecutive points during that stretch, capped by a three-point play with 2:23 left in the half.
Freshman Jasmine McCall scored BG's last five points of the first half, and a late Elliott layup made the score 25-23, Falcons, at the break.
In the second stanza, the hosts took the lead on five points by Elliott in the opening minute. Honegger, held scoreless in the opening half, then went to work, scoring seven consecutive points to give the Falcons a 32-28 lead.
First, senior Casey McDowell found Honegger alone inside for a layup, then a Horne pass resulted in a Honegger left-side jumper. When Horne kicked the ball out to her classmate for a three-pointer, the Falcons were up by four at the 17:40 mark.
Two Carly Ormerod triples, sandwiched around an Achter driving layup, tied the score at 34-34. Then, Achter was whistled for two quick fouls, her third and fourth of the game, and checked out of the game with 15:35 left.
With the Wildcats leading by a point, Horne scored five-straight points. She drained a right-elbow jumper with a defender's hand in her face, then hit a step-up three-pointer from the left elbow on a pass from McCall.
The Wildcats took a timeout to regroup, then hit a pair of close-range shots to tie the score once again. After a Mann layup, Mahoney scored six consecutive points for the hosts. Scoreless for the game's first 31:20, Mahoney would score her team's next 12 points.
Mahoney's first six points gave the Wildcats a 47-43 lead with less than seven minutes left. Mann stopped the bleeding with a layup, but Mahoney responded with a layup at the other end.
With just over five minutes left, Honegger got an offensive rebound and putback, but Mahoney drew a foul and hit both free throws to restore the four-point lead, 51-47.
With just over four minutes left, UK's Humphrey checked back into the game with four fouls, and the Falcons went right at her. Mann worked inside for a layup to cut the lead to two points.
On the next possession, UK nearly threw the ball away, but the Wildcats were able to scramble to save the ball from going out of bounds. The broken play resulted in a Mahoney layup and a BG foul at the final media timeout.
Out of the timeout, Mahoney missed the free throw, and Mann drove against Humphrey and scored again at the other end. Then, on the ensuing possession, BG's defense got a deflection of a UK pass. But, in the scramble for the loose ball, Achter was called for her fifth foul with 3:14 left. Chante' Bowman made one of her two charity tosses to put the hosts up, 54-51.
Once again, the Falcons looked to Mann, and the junior came through. She took a pass, worked inside and drew a foul, hitting both free throws with 2:56 on the clock. Another Elliott jumper restored the three-point lead, but Horne took a Mann pass and hit a long three-pointer to tie the score with 1:28 left.
Honegger ripped the ball away from a UK player in the lane on the next possession, but the Falcons missed a three-point attempt, and the rebound went out of bounds to the Wildcats with 36 seconds left. UK's possession resulted in a missed shot by Nastassia Alcius, and Mann grabbed the rebound as BG called time with 6.6 seconds remaining.
On the inbounds play, BG got the ball to a streaking Horne, who dribbled down the court and drove the left baseline. But, her running shot bounced off the rim and UK rebounded as the buzzer sounded.
In overtime, each team had missed shots on its first two possessions and turnovers on its third, as the score remained 56-56 until more than half of the period had elapsed. Then, however, Horne was called for a foul as she and Pfeiffer both dove for a loose ball near midcourt with 2:22 left. Pfeiffer split her two free throws as Horne briefly left the game with an injury.
On Pfeiffer's missed free throw, however, Humphrey grabbed the rebound, and the possession resulted in a Mahoney jumper.
Mann was fouled inside with 1:51 left, and split two tosses to cut UK's lead to 59-57. The Falcons forced a missed three-point try at the other end, but BG turned the ball over on the next possession. Alcius came up with the steal at midcourt, but her layup try was emphatically rejected by McCall, who blocked the ball out of bounds with 1:13 remaining.
After a UK timeout, the Falcons were called for a foul, but Alcius missed both free throws. However, BG missed a shot at the other end. With less than 30 seconds remaining, the Falcons were forced to foul, and Mahoney hit both free throws for a 61-57 lead.
McCall drew a foul with 20 seconds left, and hit both of her tosses. Mann quickly fouled Mahoney, who made her first free throw with 16 seconds remaining. She missed the second, but Humphrey grabbed the rebound and laid the ball in for a five-point lead.
The Falcons raced downcourt and Horne hit a triple, but Pfeiffer put the game out of reach by sinking two free throws with eight seconds left.
UK went to the line 10 times in the overtime period, making six. The Wildcats were 18-of-25 from the stripe on the night. For the game, BGSU was 8-of-10 from the free-throw line.
The taller Wildcats held a slim 44-41 rebounding advantage, with Humphrey grabbing a game-high 12. In addition to Mann's 11 boards, Horne had eight and Honegger six for the Falcons.
Horne had a game-best four assists, and she and Honegger had two blocks apiece.
The Falcons now return to Northwest Ohio to prepare for the first home game in over a month. BGSU will open Mid-American Conference play with a Saturday (Jan. 7) game vs. the University of Akron. Tipoff is at 1:00 p.m. at venerable Anderson Arena.
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