Pirates Edge 'Roos in Overtime

GEORGETOWN, Texas - The Austin College women's basketball team had a chance to win at the buzzer, but the 'Roos came up short in a 57-56 overtime defeat at Southwestern University on Friday evening. The 'Roos are now 1-16 overall and 0-8 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play.

Austin College got 12 points, seven rebounds, and three steals from Sarah Putnicki but the 'Roos struggled to get things going offensively as a team, hitting just 27.1% from the field and knocking down only 5-of-26 three point attempts. Austin College forced Southwestern into 20 turnovers, but the Pirates shot 36.2% from the field and outscored the 'Roos 26-20 in the paint. The 'Roos got out to a sluggish start offensively, managing just seven points in the opening quarter before cutting Southwestern's halftime lead to 24-23. 

Austin College surged ahead 37-35 after three quarters as Megan O'Neil knocked down a pair of threes and Sarah Gwin scored five points in the frame, and after Southwesterrn built a 51-43 fourth quarter lead the 'Roos came storming back, with Paulina Porter scoring the tying bucket with just over two minutes left to send the game into overtime. Austin College took a 55-54 lead on a basket by Putnicki early, but after Lauren Traylor made 1-of-2 free throws to make it a 56-56 game with 1:29 left, Southwestern's Aniyah Burke drew a foul with 11 seconds remaining and made one foul shot to put the Pirates up 57-56. Austin College got a look at the buzzer, but it came up short.

Putnicki made 6-of-20 shots in the game, and O'Neil and Gwin each finished with 10 points in the loss. O'Neil added eight rebounds, while Porter scored eight points off the bench and Traylor also came off the bench to score eight points and grab a game-high 12 rebounds. Burke had 19 points and eight boards to pace the Pirates.