College of Charleston
Central Michigan
Cougars Drop Overtime Thriller to Central Michigan
12/30/2011 3:41:00 AM | Women's Basketball
NEW ORLEANS - Four players scored in double-figures, but it wasn't enough as the College of Charleston women's basketball team fell 72-69 in overtime to Central Michigan in the consolation game of the Tulane Doubletree Classic.
Junior Megan Fischer led the Cougars (2-10, 1-3) with 14 points and nine rebounds. Also scoring in double-digits were fellow juniors Cathryn Hardy (13) and Latisha Harris (11) and freshman Christy Hewatt (11).
The teams traded buckets for the opening minutes of the first half until the Cougars went on a 10-0 run with two baskets by sophomore Jillian Brown and 3-pointers by Fischer and sophomore Alyssa Frye. Central Michigan (8-6, 0-0) came right back and scored the next 10 points and led by as many as nine.
The Cougars would fight back and used an 8-2 run to close the first half and get within one at 31-30, as they scored their most first half points of the season.
In a game that featured nine ties and eight lead changes each team battled hard down the stretch of the second half and Fischer got a layup with 5:29 to go to tie the game at 55.
Central Michigan would go up 60-58, but it was Fischer again with the answer on a jumper to tie the game at 60 with 1:52 to play.
After missed opportunities by both teams, Central Michigan had the ball with the same score with 20 seconds to play when Crystal Bradford drove to the basket and tough defense by Hardy caused Bradford to travel and turn the ball over. The Cougars had one last chance with 8.9 seconds left but could not convert as Fischer missed a long desperation shot as time expired in regulation.
In overtime both teams scored on their first two possessions, but Central Michigan went on a 6-0 run to separate themselves and eventually take the game 72-69.
Brown finished the game with nine points and a career-high eight assists for the Cougars.
The 69 points are the most for the Cougars since Dec. 31 of last season in a 86-74 loss to Charleston Southern.
CofC will resume play Jan. 2 as they ring in the new year with a 7:00 p.m. contest vs. Wingate at TD Arena.
