Box Score
MADISON, Wis. - A battle for the top spot in the Northern Athletics Conference North Division lived up to the billing. Edgewood College and Concordia University Wisconsin added another chapter to what has become a premier rivalry in the NAC women's basketball. In this edition, the Eagles and Falcons needed two overtimes, before Concordia Wisconsin escaped the Edgedome with an 82-74 victory.
The two teams traded runs through the entire first half, eventually settling on a 31-30 Falcon lead at the break. Concordia Wisconsin (11-6, 10-1 NAC) appeared to be ready to put the game away early in the second half, when they outscored the Eagles 13-4 out of the locker room to open a 44-34 lead.
However, Edgewood College (8-10, 8-3 NAC) would slowly reel the Falcons in over the next 10 minutes. Brittany Bylsma would start the comeback with a layup off a backdoor pass from Shae Beckwith and then assist Hannah Schultz on the next possession to trim the lead to 44-40. Soon after, Beckwith and Emily Decorah would hit back-to-back three-point baskets to trim the margin to two.
The two teams would trade the next six baskets, until Sadie Ewing would finally knot the game at 54 with just under six minutes to play. Tied at 56, Amber Hemp nailed a big three-pointer to put the Eagles ahead for the first time since the 10 minute mark of the first half. However, the Falcons leading scorer Pearl Wallace would hit a triple of her own to tie the game again at 61. The Eagles and Falcons were still tied at 63 heading into the final minute of regulation.
After a Concordia Wisconsin timeout, the Falcons' Melanie Kulbert drive hard baseline but went a step too far and tuned the ball over out of bounds. Edgewood College put the ball in the hands of their point guard Hemp with 15 seconds to play. Hemp drove hard down the right lane line and took a tough running jumper that found the bottom of the net, to give the Eagles a 65-63 lead with eight seconds remaining.
On the Falcons' last possession, they went to the same playbook with Brittany Zietlow. Zietlow drove hard down the right side and appeared to be at a bad angle to the backboard, but her shot caught enough of the rim to bounce off the glass and in with 0.6 seconds left to play to send the game to overtime.
Lexie Schmtigen opened the first extra session with a jumper, but Megan Matthies answered with a three-pointer to put the Falcons ahead 68-67. It stayed that way until the midpoint of overtime when Beckwith nailed her second three-point basket of the night. However, Melanie Kulbert scored from the paint with 53 seconds to go to tie the game at 70, and neither team managed another point in the final minute.
The second overtime went to the Falcons. Concordia Wisconsin scored the first six points of the second overtime as the Eagles missed their first six shots until Hemp made it a four-point game at 76-72. While the Eagles again went cold missing their next seven shots, the Falcons made 10 of 16 free throw attempts in the second overtime to claim the 82-74 victory.
Hemp scored a career-high 20 points in 42 minutes of play, and also matched a career-high with eight rebounds. Decorah 18 points including four three-point baskets. Schultz, a senior, did all the dirty work under the basket and finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds for her second career double-double. Her first came against Alverno College on February 23, 2008. Beckwith had a season-high six assists to go with six points. The Eagles shot just nine free throws for the game, including just two in the second half and both overtimes combined as Concordia University Wisconsin was whistled for just five fouls over the final 30 minutes of play.
Wallace led the Falcons with a double-double of her own going for 17 points and 10 rebounds. Tiffany Hendrickson had a team-high seven field goals and finished with 15 points. The Falcons, the NAC's top free throw shooting team entering the game, went 18-for-26 from the charity stripe.
Tonight's battle marked the first overtime game of Edgewood College head coach Casey Thousand's career. The Eagles last played a double overtime game on December 29, 2007 when the Eagles fell to UW-Platteville 94-92 at the Edgedome. Also two seasons ago, Edgewood College topped Concordia Wisconsin 72-70 in an overtime game in the NAC Tournament semifinals at Mequon.
Edgewood College will get back on their horse this Saturday when they travel to Milwaukee to face MSOE. The Eagles and Raiders will tip off at 2:00 p.m.
