Lady Tigers Edge Albany State In OT, 66-61

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Benedict College Lady Tigers survived some ice-cold shooting in the second half and escaped with a 66-61 overtime victory over Albany State University in the quarterfinals of the 2017 SIAC Women’s Basketball Tournament.

Benedict, now 19-7, advances to a semifinal matchup against the winner between Fort Valley State and Miles, who will play Thursday afternoon. Friday’s semifinal will be 2 p.m. Eastern.

Shirvel Luke hit two free throws with 24 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 56. In overtime, LeAnna Morrison scored five of her team-high 15 points for the Lady Tigers.

Zairra Harris scored 11 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. Shirvel Lukeand Destiny Betts also had 11 rebounds each as Benedict had 62 rebounds and Albany State had 61 rebounds as the two teams combined to miss 113 total shots. Albany State shot 22 percent for the game, a season-low for a Benedict opponent this season. Benedict finished at 26.9 percent.

Harris hit two 3-pointers in the third period, the only two baskets for the Lady Tigers during that quarter. The final 3-pointer gave the Lady Tigers a 44-42 lead with 21 seconds left on the clock. Albany State hit a pair of free throws to tie the game heading into the fourth quarter.

The Lady Golden Rams scored the first three points of the fourth quarter from the free-throw line. Benedict didn’t score from the floor until MiKeisha Moore drained a 3-pointer with 3:51 on the clock to give the Lady Tigers a 50-49 lead. A jumper by Shanaissa White, Benedict’s only two-point field goal in the second half, gave the Lady Tigers a 54-51 lead with 1:49 remaining. A three-point play by ASU’s Elesha Foster with 35 seconds remaining gave the Lady Golden Rams a 56-54 lead with 35 seconds remaining. Luke tied the game with a pair of free throws and Albany State missed a shot at the end of regulation.

Harris hit three free throws in overtime to give Benedict a 59-57 lead, and Betts scored a layup for a 61-57 lead with1:28 on the clock. Morrison scored the final five points for the Lady Tigers on a driving layup and three free-throws, the final two clinching the game with one second left.