DENTON, Texas (Dec. 10, 2016) – Grace Mitchell notched her second double-double of the season by posting 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Kenesha Saygo again willed Texas Woman's University after halftime by scoring 17 of her 19 points in a 84-80 overtime win against UT Permian Basin Saturday afternoon inside Kitty Magee Arena.
 
Kara Mitchell scored 15 points for the Pioneers (7-3, 2-2 LSC) while Emily Spector grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds in a game with 17 lead changes and 13 ties between the two squads.
 
TWU was hanging onto a 70-66 lead with 44 seconds remaining in regulation following a step back jumper from Spector on the left baseline, but UTPB (4-6, 1-3 LSC) delivered on a quick drive and then floated in the tying bucket with 2.6 seconds on the clock to force the extra period.
 
Eighteen seconds into the overtime period, Morgan Easley was successful on a drive to the right side while she was fouled and made the ensuing layup for a 73-70 TWU advantage. Saygo drilled a fadeaway and made a hard drive to give the Pioneers a 77-70 cushion with 3:28 left to play.
 
A jumper by the Falcons lessened the gap to 78-74 a minute later before a pair of free throws by Saygo. UTPB banked in a three-pointer to pull within 80-77 and 58 seconds on the clock, and another trey with 18 ticks remaining made it a two-point game. The Pioneers called a timeout in order to advance the ball as UTPB committed a foul to send Saygo to the line where she nailed both shots to place the lead to 84-80. The Falcons were unable to get a look final look to give TWU the victory.
 
Saygo gave the Pioneers an early 9-4 lead on a drive where she was fouled, but five straight points by UTPB knotted the game at 9-9. Kara Mitchell produced a strong play in the paint for a 14-13 edge before the Falcons scored in the point for a 15-14 lead at the end of the first quarter.
 
Grace Mitchell knocked down two shots within the first minute of quarter two before UTPB took a one-point lead midway through the period. KJ Stastny drilled a three from the left baseline and Grace Mitchell placed in a putback before hitting an elbow jumper to put the Pioneers up 28-22. The Falcons closed the half on a 6-2 run to pull within 30-28 at the break.
 
A free throw by Spector in the third quarter gave the Pioneers their largest lead of the contest at 40-33, but UTPB outscored TWU 12-3 over the next four minutes to take a 45-43 lead with two minutes to go. Kara Mitchell then took over by scoring twice through the lane and making a pair of free throws to put the Pioneers up 49-48 heading into the fourth. In the final quarter, the teams tied the score six times and exchanged the lead twice before heading into overtime tied 70-70.
 
The Pioneers head south to compete in the Bahama House Classic Dec. 16-17 in Daytona Beach, Fla. TWU takes on Barry Friday at 12:30 CST and Embry-Riddle Saturday at 1 p.m. CST.