MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The William Carey Lady Crusaders showed resilience Thursday night, battling back from multiple deficits to earn a thrilling 55–49 overtime victory against Life University to open play in the SSAC Championship.
Life University opened the game on a 6–0 run and controlled the tempo early before
Jenna Garriga put Carey on the board with a jumper. The Running Eagles continued their strong start, stretching the lead to 15–2 with three minutes remaining in the quarter.
Brooklyn Cuevas knocked down a late three to stop the surge, but a Madison Carey layup put Life up 17–7 at the end of the first.
Both teams struggled to find rhythm early in the second quarter, trading missed shots for nearly two minutes before a Life free throw broke the drought.
Anna Rose Engle followed with a three-pointer to pull WCU within eight at 18–10. But Life responded with a 7–0 run to regain control. Carey stayed within striking distance thanks to free throws from
Leah Sutton and a
Meyah Doyle layup, and two more Doyle free throws in the closing seconds sent the Lady Crusaders into halftime trailing 26–16.
Carey came out of the break with renewed urgency. A free throw from
Shaneal Corpuz and a sharp assist from Corpuz to
Madelyn Ladner trimmed the deficit to 27–19. The Lady Crusaders continued to chip away, and an
Addyson Sherer layup pulled WCU within seven midway through the quarter.
Moments later,
Alyssa Hillard drained a three, sparking a late-quarter push. Garriga buried a corner three at the 1:18 mark, Corpuz added a pull-up jumper with :44 remaining, and the Carey defense forced consecutive turnovers to close the quarter down just 36–34.
Life regained momentum briefly in the fourth as Robinson hit two free throws and added a crafty finish to push the Running Eagles ahead 40–34. But Carey answered once again. Doyle's layup cut the margin to four, and Ladner scored on back-to-back possessions to tie the game at 40 and both teams traded baskets down the stretch. With Life holding for the final shot, Corpuz delivered a game-saving block in the closing seconds, securing the loose ball to force overtime.
Life opened OT with a three-pointer, but after empty trips on both ends, Cuevas was fouled on a three-point attempt and calmly sank all three attempts to tie the game with under three minutes left. A Doyle free throw briefly put Carey in front, but Life responded with a jumper to reclaim a 47–46 lead.
The Lady Crusaders answered with poise: Corpuz knocked down four straight free throws to make it 50–47, sparking the final momentum shift. Ladner added a run-out layup with :32 remaining, followed by a free throw at :18, and Cuevas split a pair with :10 left to seal the 55–49 victory.
Corpuz led the way with 13 points and eight rebounds, while Ladner added 10 points in the win.
The Lady Crusaders return to action on Friday, February 27, taking on #1 seed Loyola University at 5:00 p.m.
