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HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The night belonged to the seniors on the Northern Kentucky University women's basketball team, but it was a freshman who stole the show – and a potential Jacksonville victory - during overtime on Saturday night.
Freshman guard
Rianna Gayheart scored six points in overtime as Northern Kentucky pulled out a 76-71 win over visiting Jacksonville. Gayheart finished with 13 points, six rebounds and five assists as NKU finished its first Division I season with a 15-12 overall record. The Norse closed out Atlantic Sun Conference play with a 12-6 record, which placed them fourth in the final league standings.
Tiara Hopper, who finished with 12 points and a career-high 17 rebounds in her final game, gave NKU a 68-66 lead early in the overtime with an inside basket off an assist from Gayheart. After a steal by
Christine Roush, Gayheart took her defender off the dribble down the right side of the lane and hit a driving layup to extend the Norse advantage to 70-66.
Britney Holliday countered with five straight points to give Jacksonville a 71-70 lead with 2:39 left on the clock, but Gayheart answered with an acrobatic driving layup to put NKU ahead 72-71 at the 2:22 mark.
Hopper made a pair of free throws with 1:19 remaining to extend the Norse lead to 74-71, and Gayheart sealed the win with another basket with 13 seconds left.
"It was an incredible win for our kids, and what an effort to be able to send our seniors out with a victory in their final game," NKU head coach
Dawn Plitzuweit said. "
Tiara Hopper and
Ellen Holton made a number of big plays, and Rianna was clutch in the overtime."
Roush and Holton each added 16 points for NKU, while teammate
Kayla Thacker finished with 10 points. Roush added five rebounds two steals and two assists.
Holton's basket in the closing seconds of regulation tied the game, and the Norse survived a last-second attempt by Queen Alford to force the overtime.
“A big play by a senior, and then we were able to avoid fouling (Alford) on that final play in regulation, even though she penetrated into the lane deeper than we probably would have wanted,” Plitzuweit said. “Sometimes you just have to get lucky, and that was one of those times. They are a great team and they have been playing really well going into the tournament. Their perimeter kids were really a tough matchup for us.”
Holliday led Jacksonville with 23 points, and Alford added 13 points. The Dolphins were just 2-for-9 from the field in overtime, while NKU shot 4-for-6 from the field in the extra session to avenge a loss at Jacksonville on Dec. 31.
Jacksonville owned a four-game winning streak going into Saturday's contest. The Dolphins won the rebounding battle by a 48-43 count but made just 38.6 percent of their shots from the field.
Northern Kentucky shot 41.1 percent from the field and finished with seven blocks, as Holton and Thacker each had two rejections. It marked the first overtime game of the season for the Norse, who remained perfect (13-0) when leading at halftime.
“To our players' credit, the last three games we were successful because our defense was solid. Tonight, our defense wasn't as solid, but our offense was able to carry us,” Plitzuweit said. “This group has really found a way to win. I don't know that it looked very promising the last minute of regulation, but they kept their composure and stayed together, and they played with a level of toughness and togetherness that has really been their signature as the year has gone on.”
In addition to Holton and Hopper, fellow seniors
Jaimie Hamlet,
Kelsey Simpson and student manager
Ben Franzen were honored in pregame festivities. Hamlet finished her career with 99 3-point field goals, which is tied for eighth all-time in school history. Simpson received a start Saturday and grabbed two rebounds in her final game.
“What a great way for our seniors to go out. We couldn't ask for a better way for them to cap off the season,” Plitzuweit said. “I was really, really proud. I was proud of all of our kids but especially our four seniors, who were our leaders all season.”
