UOlivet drops three overtime game at Adrian, 87-77

ADRIAN, Mich. – The University of Olivet women's basketball team fell to Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) foe Adrian College, 87-77, in a triple overtime thriller tonight at the Merillat Sport & Fitness Center.

THE BASICS

• Final Score: Adrian 87, Olivet 77 (3OT)
• Location: Merillat Sport & Fitness Center; Adrian, Michigan
• Records: Olivet 2-6 overall, 0-3 MIAA; Adrian 3-6 overall, 2-1 MIAA

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Bulldogs built a 14-4 lead at the 3:45 mark of the opening quarter. The Comets scored six straight points to trim their deficit down to four points. Adrian made the last basket of the quarter to take a 16-10 lead.
• Olivet began the second quarter with a 9-2 run for its first lead in the game, 19-18. After the Bulldogs made a three-pointer, the Comets drained two baskets to go up 23-21. Adrian ended the quarter by making two layups for a 25-23 halftime advantage.
• The Bulldogs extended their lead to six points, 29-23, with 8:53 remaining in the third quarter. Olivet answered with a 10-0 run for a 33-29 lead at the 6:09 mark. Following an Adrian basket, the Comets used a three-pointer and three-pointer to gain their largest lead of the game, 38-31. Olivet led by seven points on two more occasions. After the second time at 44-37, the Bulldogs scored eight consecutive points for a 45-44 lead. Senior Lily Connelly made a three-pointer to put Olivet back on top, 47-45, at the end of the third stanza.
• In the fourth quarter, the Comets stretched their lead to seven points, 61-54, with 3:09 left in regulation. Adrian scored five points to cut its deficit down to two points. Senior Clara Shoales split two free throws to make the score 62-59. After a timeout, the Bulldogs connected on a three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.
• In the first minute of the extra period, there were two lead changes and two tied scores. Following a 65-65 deadlock, Adrian had an old-fashioned three-point play. Olivet closed the gap to a point before another Bulldog basket made the score 70-67. Junior Kinsley Hatfield connected on a three-pointer to even the score. Adrian missed a couple baskets to force a second overtime period.
• With 2:05 showing on the clock, sophomore Kaylee Bush made a free throw for the first point of the extra period. Adrian countered with a layup to make the score 72-71. A deep three-pointer by Bush put the Comets ahead 74-72. After a series of missed shots for both teams, Hatfield split a pair of foul shots for a 75-72 Olivet lead with seven ticks left. Another three-pointer helped Adrian tie the score and send the game to another overtime.
• The Bulldogs outscored the Comets, 12-2, in the third overtime period to secure the win.
• For the game, Olivet posted a 39.7 field goal percentage (29-of-73) compared to 34.4 percent (33-of-96) for Adrian. The Comets made one more three-pointer, 8 to 7, but the Bulldogs canned 14 free throws to 11 for Olivet. Adrian had a 60-46 edge in rebounding, including a 27-8 advantage on the offensive glass.
• This final was the first triple overtime game in Olivet history. The Comets' previous longest game was four double overtime games.

FOR THE COMETS

• Connelly scored a team-leading 21 points.
• Bush added 19 points.
• Sophomore Christina Malackanich contributed 13 points.
• Shoales shared game-high honors with 12 rebounds.
• Connelly recorded seven assists and two steals.
• Sophomore Anna Honnen tallied a team-best three steals.

UP NEXT

• Olivet heads to Ohio later this week for two games. On Thursday, the Comets play Denison University at 5 p.m., and on Saturday, they face Kenyon (Ohio) College at 3 p.m.