Women’s Basketball: Olivet survives double overtime thriller at Rockford, 68-66

ROCKFORD, Ill. – The University of Olivet women's basketball team rallied from 10 points down in the fourth quarter to win a thrilling 68-66 double overtime game at Rockford (Ill.) University this evening at the Seaver Center.

• Final Score: Olivet 68, Rockford 66 (2OT)
• Location: Seaver Center; Rockford, Illinois
• Records: Olivet 4-6 overall, Rockford 4-5 overall

• After the Regents scored the first two points of the game, the Comets scored the next eight points. Rockford closed the first quarter on a 11-2 run to take a 13-10 lead at the start of the second period.
• In the second quarter, the Regents stretched their lead to six points, 20-14, at the 7:23 mark. Senior Lily Connelly scored five straight points to close the gap to one point, 20-19. Rockford made a basket to make the score 22-19 with 5:38 left until halftime. Jump shots by sophomores Kinsley Hatfield and Ella Gaffke gave Olivet the lead briefly at 23-22. The Regents made a basket before the Comets ended the half by scoring seven unanswered points – three-pointer by senior Madison Bailey, two free throws by Gaffke and a layup by Connelly – put Olivet ahead by six points, 30-24, at the intermission.
• Rockford opened the third quarter on a 15-3 run to take their own six-point lead, 39-33, at the 3:40 mark, and for the Comets to call a timeout. The run continued after the stoppage, as the Regents made two free throws to gain the largest lead of the game for either team at 41-33. The Comets ended the stanza by scoring the final six points to trail by just two points, 41-39, at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
• To start the fourth period, Rockford put six straight points on the scoreboard to increase its lead to 10 points, 49-39. Olivet scored its first three points of the quarter at the 5:24 mark when junior Clara Shoales drained a three-pointer. The Regents answered with a three-pointer.
• Six Comet points made the score 52-48 with 3:19 remaining in the game. Rockford scored the next basket to move its advantage back to six points. Olivet scored five straight points, including the later three when Bailey made three free throws after being fouled on a shot from behind the arc with 1:33 left. Freshman Christina Malackanich scored a basket and Connelly made two free throws to put the Comets ahead by three points, 57-54. Olivet had an opportunity to extend its lead to five but missed two free throws. The Regents nailed a three-pointer in the final seconds to tie the game. The player was fouled on the attempt but missed the go-ahead free throw and the game went to overtime.
• The Comets scored the first basket of the first extra period. Rockford scored the next six points to go up 63-59. Olivet put the final four points – two on jumper by Connelly and a layup by senior Julia Decker – on the scoreboard in the final 13 seconds to even the score and send the game to a second overtime period.
• To open second IT, freshman Kaylee Bush gave the lead to Olivet with two free throws. Rockford tied the game with a layup at the 3:24 mark and seized a 66-65 lead with a free throw at the 2:28 mark. There was no more scoring until 38 seconds left when Bush made a layup to make the score, 67-66.
• A go-ahead three-point attempt for the Regents was off the mark. Malackanich grabbed the defensive rebound and was fouled, but she missed the two free throws. Rockford turned the ball over on its next possession and Connelly made the steal. She split two tosses at the charity stripe for a 68-66 score with two seconds remaining. A last-second three-point attempt for the Regents fell short.

• Connelly was the lone Olivet player to reach double digits in scoring with a game-high 18 points. She also tallied eight rebounds, five assists and four steals in 41 minutes.
• Bailey, Decker and Hatfield each scored eight points.
• Bush, Hatfield, Malackanich and Shoales finished with six points apiece.
• Decker finished with four steals.
• Malackanich grabbed a game-best 11 rebounds.

• Including tonight, the Comets have only played four double overtime games in school history. The last one was January 7, 2009, when Olivet fell to Alma College, 78-77. The other two were February 13, 1987 (a 74-72 win over Calvin College) and January 25, 1986 (an 81-76 win over Nazareth College).
• Tonight was first all-time meeting between Olivet and Rockford in women's basketball.

• The Comets travel 90 minutes north tomorrow to play Mount Mary (Wis.) University at 6 p.m.