Double overtime nail-biter results in Loper win against Bearcats

Evan Jones
Antelope Staff

Conference opponent Northwest Missouri State entered Thursday’s contest with a record of 1-15, but you never would have guessed that by the way they competed to the last second with the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The Lady Lopers were able to capture a win with a final score of 88-79 in double overtime.

The Bearcats started strong as they scored the first five points of the game. UNK countered that with a nice 7-0 and after the first period of play, the Lopers had a narrow lead of 13-12.

Michaela Barry-a senior elementary education and special education major from Battle Creek, had a record-setting night as she scored 43 points, tying the school record, which is currently still held by Darcy Stracke.

Barry got her big night rolling in the second period as she drilled a three to begin the quarter. The Bearcats countered with an 11-2 run to force a timeout from the Lopers as they trailed 23-18 midway through the period.

The Bearcats really found their stride late in the period as they hit a trio of triples while playing tight defense, and Northwest Missouri State boosted their lead to 36-27 entering the intermission.

In the third period, it looked like Northwest Missouri State was going to maintain their lead and during the media timeout at the 4:46 mark in the third, the Bearcats led 41-31.

The Lopers bounced back after the media break as they went on a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to just three with the score reading 41-38 in favor of the Bearcats.

The teams traded buckets for the remainder of the quarter and the Bearcats held the lead at 47-43 after the third quarter.

Bearcat Mallory McAndrews hit a three to begin the fourth quarter to boost their lead to 50-43. The Bearcats kept things rolling and forced UNK to call a timeout at the 8:10 mark in the quarter as the score read 54-44. Barry then went into attack mode for UNK as she converted a three-point play at the 6:24 mark to make the deficit just five with the score reading 54-49.

In the final minutes of the fourth quarter, Adreon Bell, a freshman pre-nursing major from Independence, Missouri added a spark off the bench. Bell had forced a couple turnovers late that helped UNK make the score 63-61 with 1:36 remaining. On the following possession, UNK forced a turnover and Bell hit a free throw  missed another to make the score 63-62.

The Bearcats countered with a three of their own to make the score 66-62 although Barry was able to convert on a pair of layups to tie the game at 66. The Lopers got a stop with 11 seconds remaining, and they called a timeout to draw up a play.

The final shot was taken by Brown, but she missed the three and the game headed to overtime knotted at 66.

After Northwest Missouri State hit a three to begin the overtime period as they led 69-66, Barry again came in the clutch as she converted a three-point play to tie the game at 69.

The Bearcats then went on a 5-0 run but UNK countered with a 6-1 run and the score was tied at 75. The Bearcats had their chance to win the game on a three by McAndrews, but she fell just short on the attempt and a second overtime period was in store as the score read 75-75.

In the second overtime period, it was all Lopers as they outscored the Bearcats 13-3 and, Barry scored 11 of those 13 points in the second overtime.

For the Lopers, Barry finished with 43 points. For the Bearcats, Tanya Meyer led the way with 27 points. The Lopers are now 13-3, and 8-0 at home and the Bearcats fall to 1-16 with a 13-game losing streak.