11-30-16
ROME, Ga. – The University of North Georgia women’s basketball team was never able to find an offensive rhythm in Tuesday night’s 79-71 triple overtime loss at Shorter. The loss was the first of the season for the Nighthawks who now stand at 6-1 on the season.
Shorter held the advantage on the scoreboard for the majority of regulation, as North Georgia didn’t hold their first lead of the game until the 8:19 mark in the fourth quarter when a Maddie Hetzel three-point basket gave UNG a 39-38 advantage. The Hawks held a three-point lead with less than 30 seconds remaining in regulation, but Jordan Livesaydrained a three to tie the game at 50-50 and force overtime.
The crew from Rome found themselves with a five point lead with under a minute and a half to play in the first overtime period but an Amber Skidgel three-pointer narrowed the lead to two and Kelsey Hutchins followed with a steal and converted on a pair of free throws on the other end to force a second overtime.
The second OT was a back-and-forth affair but just as it looked like North Georgia had the game one with a three-point advantage and clock nearing zero, Kayla Tillie launched a prayer from well beyond the arc with just one second left and saw that prayer answered as her shot banked off the glass and through the cylinder to keep the Hawks alive and force triple overtime.
Shorter held a slim advantage for most of the third overtime but a missed layup proved crucial for the Nighthawks in the final minute as the Hawks converted on the other end to take a two possession lead that they would never relinquish, pulling away at the free throw line, 77-71, in the end.
NOTES
– Kelsey Hutchins led all scorers in the game with 26 points, 12 of which came from the charity stripe with a 12-for-14 performance from the line. Julie McKie added 20 points off the bench that included a 7-for-9 night at the free-throw line.
– The loss is the first in the series for UNG since 2002.
NEXT UP
The Nighthawks will look to bounce back on Saturday, Dec. 3 as they return home to host Talladega. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m.
