Graceland outlasts Pride in double overtime battle
LAMONI, Iowa - Getting back to game action following a three-day layoff, the Clarke University women's basketball team dropped their return to action at Graceland University by a final score of 80-77 in double overtime on Wednesday night.
A back-and-forth game in nature, neither team won back-to-back quarters highlighted by significant margins on each side first a 23-8 second quarter from the Pride to head into halftime leading 34-26 but that was answered by the Yellowjackets in the third by outscoring CU 26-15 to enter the final period up 52-49.
With neither team holding more than a possession lead in the fourth quarter, Clarke's Zoe Kennedy tied the game with a layup to make it 62-62 late in regulation as that would end up being the score after 40 minutes of action to send the game into an extra five minutes of basketball.
Opening the overtime period with back-to-back buckets first from Maci Kuchta then a three pointer from Josie Potts, the 67-62 CU lead would be shortlived when the Yellowjackets answered with a 7-0 run of their own to get a 69-67 lead before layups from Hailey Walters and another from Kuchta plus an and-one free throw would put the Pride back up three points.
Another answer from GU with a layup through a foul by Genesis Alarcon tied the game at 72-72 with less than 30 seconds remaining in overtime where Kennedy would end up getting a chance to win the game in the first overtime but her shot was off the mark sending the game into double overtime.
Bucking the trend of back-and-forth action, Graceland would take an early lead in the second overtime and never give up the lead for the remainder of the second extra frame, outscoring Clarke 8-2 over the first three minutes of double overtime before a Kennedy three pointer made it a three-point game but both teams would combine to go 0-for-8 for the rest of the game as the score would finish at that 80-77 final.
Kennedy and Alarcon both finished as the only players in the game at 20 or more points as Kennedy led the game with 21 points and added 14 rebounds and three assists while Alarcon had a double-double of her own with 20 points and 12 rebounds.
Sydni Morris had her own double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds while Kuchta added 16 assists and eight rebounds playing all 50 minutes of the double overtime game with the secondary scoring for Graceland came by way of 16 points from Kymani Freeman and 13 points from Sophia Rodriguez.
Clarke women's basketball will return to their home floor on Saturday, January 18 when they host Benedictine College for a 12:00 p.m. CT scheduled tip between the Pride and Ravens.