Lions Top Tusculum in Double-Overtime Thriller

MARS HILL, N.C.-Ansley Ricker's three-point play with 11 seconds remaining capped off a 74-72 double-overtime victory over Tusculum in South Atlantic Conference action Saturday afternoon at Stanford Arena.

Career-high's from Kelsey Espinosa and Autumn Ward helped spark the Lions to the double-OT win. Espinosa scored a career-high 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting to go along with nine rebounds. Ward scored a career-best 17 points, hit 5-of-7 from three-point range and grabbed seven rebounds. Kendal Baxter and Blakeley Burleson scored 15 points-apiece to pace Tusculum. Mars Hill improved to 6-18 overall and 3-13 in SAC play.

Ricker scored 19 points, grabbed a career-high seven rebounds and dished out three assists for Mars Hill. Armeka Booker added seven points and 12 rebounds. Mars Hill shot 25-of-54 from the field (46.3 percent).

Breaira Barksdale added 12 points for Tusculum, while April McCann notched a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. The Pioneers shot 25-of-72 from the field (34.7 percent).

The Lions raced out to a 39-26 lead at the half. Ward hit all five of her treys in the opening 20 minutes of play. Mars Hill hit 7-of-12 overall from distance in the first half. An Espinosa lay-up to start the second half gave MHC their largest lead of the afternoon, 41-26 with 19:42 to play.

An 18-3 run by Tusculum brought the Pioneers right back into the contest to tie the score. A three pointer by Baxter knotted the score at 44-apiece with 9:35.

Tusculum would tie the score four more times in the following minutes before a Baxter three gave the Pioneers their first lead, 56-55, with 2:16 to play. A free throw by Burleson gave the Pioneers a two-point lead before a Ricker layup tied the score back up.

After a Baxter free throw, Ricker put the Lions up 59-58 with another layup with 15 seconds left. Ashley Thurman scored on a put-back with 4.6 seconds left to go up one, but Ricker drove the length of the floor to draw a foul with 0.5 seconds left. Ricker split the pair of free throws to force overtime.

The Pioneers opened overtime by scoring five of the first six points to take a 65-61 advantage with 1:49 to play. An Espinosa three-point play brought the Lions back within one, before a free throw by Kristen McMillon extended the TC lead to 66-64 with 55 seconds left. Taylor Tate tied the score with her lone bucket of the afternoon with 37 seconds left, and the two teams traded missed shots and headed to double-overtime.

A jumper by Burleson after a free throw by Erica Warren gave Tusculum an early 68-67 lead in overtime. Ricker and Espinosa answered with layups to make it 71-68 with 1:08 left.

Baxter came back with a three at the other end to tie the score, and McCann came away with a steal and was fouled. McCann split the pair of free throws, before Ricker's old-fashioned three-point with 11 seconds left sent the Lions home with the victory.

Mars Hill will travel to Lenoir-Rhyne for a 6:00 p.m. tip-off this Wednesday, Feb. 27.