Dec. 5, 2012. CINCINNATI, OH – Katie Mallow dropped a three pointer with 33 seconds remaining in overtime to cushion Appalachian State University women’s basketball to a 77-73 win at Xavier on Friday night at the Cintas Center.
The Mountaineers (5-1) led by two with just under a minute left in regulation. A jumper from Xavier’s Alliyah Zantt knotted the game at 60-60 each. The first meeting between the two schools proved to be a back-and-forth contest with 12 lead changes and 8 ties, with neither team leading by more than six in the final period.
Fans in the Cintas Center held their breath in the final minutes, as the overtime period produced four lead changes and two ties. The Musketeers’ (3-3) Amber Gray opened the extra period with a layup off a missed three from teammate Alliyah Zantt (60-62). Anna Freeman followed with a three-pointer on an assist from Michelle Taylor to put the Mountaineers back ahead by one (63-62). Xavier’s Alliyah Zantt and Ashley Wanninger would connect on three’s to knot the game twice more, but a pair of free throw shots from Anna Freeman would edge Appalachian ahead by one (71-69) with 1:02 remaining in the extra frame.
Katie Mallow sank a three-pointer with 33 seconds left to position the Apps at 74-69, when Lakeisha Crouch shot a jumper with 20 ticks on the clock to bring XU back within three. A pair of intentional fouls from Shaytyra Hawkes, however, would send Katie Mallow to the line, where she cushioned the App lead by four (77-73) to close out the contest.
Mallow finished the contest with six points in 1-2 each from the field and beyond the arc. She shot 3-4 from the line, and recorded two steals for the Mountaineers.
Appalachian shot 50 percent (30-60) from the field and 72.2 percent at the charity stripe (13-18), while the Mountaineers connected on four-of-seven three point opportunities, compared to Xavier’s 39.3 percent field goals and dismal 6-of-23 from downtown.
Appalachian recorded 38 rebounds on the night, with nine coming from Maryah Sydnor. Hometown hero Kelsey Sharkey contributed seven boards of her own, and grabbed four steals.
Anna Freeman and Courtney Freeman finished with 28 and 24 points on the night, respectively, as Appalachian’s leading scorers. Both players recorded eight rebounds in the contest, and accounted for eight of App’s 19 assists.
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