Connelly’s half-court buzzer beater lifts Olivet past Bluffton, 79-78, in season-opener

Connelly’s half-court buzzer beater lifts Olivet past Bluffton, 79-78, in season-opener
November 8, 2024

OLIVET, Mich. – Senior Lily Connelly made a half-court shot at the buzzer to help The University of Olivet women's basketball team begin its 2024-25 season with a thrilling 79-78 win over Bluffton (Ohio) University tonight inside the Cutler Event Center.

THE BASICS

  • Final Score: Olivet 79, Bluffton 78
  • Location: Cutler Event Center; Olivet, Michigan
  • Records: Olivet 1-0 overall, Bluffton 0-1 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • Connelly's winning shot capped off a 12-point comeback for the Comets. Olivet was down by a dozen points, 73-61, with 4:09 left in the game. The Comets scored 11 straight points over a three-minute span to trail by just one point, 73-72, with exactly one minute showing on the clock.
  • Madison Brown split two free throws with 28.1 seconds left to put the Beavers up two points, 74-72. Olivet turned the ball over and fouled. Brown drained both free throws to push Bluffton's lead up to four points, 76-72, with 20 seconds remaining. Connelly made layup to cut the Comets' deficit in half. Forced to foul, Kayla Prigge made 1-of-2 free throws to make the score 77-74 with 12 seconds left.
  • Connelly answered with another driving layup. Rachel Clark missed the first free throw but made the second toss to put the Beavers ahead 78-76 with 5.5 seconds remaining. Sophomore Kaylee Bush inbounded the ball to Connelly worked her way around three defenders before launching the three-point shot from the bottom of O at center court. The shot banked in and went through the basket.
  • The first quarter featured three tied scores and seven lead changes. The largest lead for either team was Bluffton's four-point advantage, 24-20, at the end of the quarter.
  • The Beavers stretched their lead to nine points, 33-24, at the 6:33 mark of the second quarter. Olivet battled back with a 9-2 run to trail by only two points, 35-33, with 3:18 left until halftime. Bluffton ended the quarter on a 9-4 spurt to take a 44-37 lead into the locker room.
  • The Comets began the third quarter with a 10-2 run to take 47-46 lead. The game was back-and-forth for the rest of the quarter, as the teams settled for a 54-54 tie to start the final quarter.
  • Following the seventh tie of the game at 54-56, the Beavers used a 17-5 run to gain their 12-point cushion at 73-61.

FOR THE COMETS

  • For the game, Olivet posted a 49.1 field goal percentage (28-of-57), including 42.9 percent (6-of-14) from behind the arc.
  • Connelly scored a team-leading 26 points. She also had team-highs in assists (six) and steals (four).
  • Sophomore Christina Malackanich was next with 16 points.
  • Bush and senior Clara Shoales each netted 11 points.
  • Bush, Malackanich and junior Kinsley Hatfield grabbed seven rebounds apiece.

UP NEXT

  • The Comets head to Indiana next Wednesday, November 13, to play Franklin (Ind.) College. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.