DENTON, Texas -
Sadie Moyer came off the bench to score a game-high 19 points, going 10-for-10 from the charity stripe, while
Kam Daily pulled down a team high 10 of 59 rebounds grabbed by the Texas Woman's University basketball team (5-8, 5-8 Lone Star Conference) - the highest single-game total since the Pioneers grabbed 59 rebounds on November 18, 2011 against Oklahoma Panhandle State - leading the way for TWU as the Pioneers came back from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime, then hold Cameron scoreless in overtime and pick up a 67-58 win over the Aggies on Senior Day at Kitty Magee Arena.
"I am incredibly proud of our team and how we responded after being down double digits three times," said head coach
Beth Jillson. "We continued to chip away, grab rebounds, stay connected, and we battled back."
The Pioneers honored seniors
Kendall Lentz,
Kam Daily, and
Ma'K'La Woods as part of the Senior Day festivities.
"Our seniors are impactful leaders who set the tone daily with their work ethic, commitment, and contagious energy," added Jillson. "What a memorable final game in Kitty Magee Arena for them!"
The 59 rebounds for TWU represented the highest number for a Pioneers squad against a Division II opponent since TWU grabbed 60 boards against Colorado-Mines on December 30, 2000.
The teams battled through the opening quarter, trading leads six times. Cameron led by as many as four (6-2) before TWU rallied to take a three-point lead (9-6) after a 3-pointer by Lentz with 3:45 to play. However, the Aggies answered with back-to-back 3-pointers to reclaim the lead. The Pioneers briefly reclaimed the lead 13-12 in the closing seconds of the quarter on a 3-pointer by Woods, but another 3-ball for the Aggies with eight seconds left put Cameron ahead. Moyer split a pair of free throws at the end of the quarter, and the two teams went the second quarter tied at 15.
The Aggies opened the second quarter on a 10-0 run, opening up a 25-15 lead three minutes in. The Pioneers rallied with a 10-0 run of their own to knot the game at 25-25 with 2:03 to play in the half, and the Aggies added a basket in the final minute to go into the break with a 27-25 advantage.
Cameron opened the second half with a 3-pointer on the opening possession and surged ahead, grabbing a nine-point (36-27) lead just over two minutes into the quarter. After a
Jordan Jenkins jumper with 6:07 to play in the third pulled the Pioneers to within seven (38-31), neither team scored for nearly two minutes before Moyer's jumper pulled the Pioneers to within five. TWU cut the deficit to three (38-35) on another Jenkins jumper after a defensive stop, but the Aggies used an 8-0 run to stretch their advantages back into double figures, grabbing an 11-point (46-35) lead with 1:04 to play in the third, the largest lead of the game for Cameron. A late basket by Daily would cut the Pioneers' deficit to nine (46-37) entering the fourth.
Cameron's Maighan Hedge buried a jumper on the first possession of the fourth quarter to push the Aggies' lead back into double figures (48-37) but the Pioneers inched back, cutting the deficit down to five (48-43) on a Jenkins layup with 6:13 to play and knotting the game on a
Scout Huffman free throw with 1:30 remaining. Again, Cameron answered with a big 3-pointer, giving the Aggies a 58-55 lead.
Those would be the last points Cameron would score.
Woods' layup with a minute to play pulled the Pioneers to within one, and Jenkins split a pair of free throws with six seconds to play to knot the game at 58-58. TWU's stop on the final possession sent the game to overtime.
This time, it was the Pioneers opening scoring from long range, jumping ahead on a Jenkins 3-pointer on the first possession of the overtime. However, it would be Moyer providing the hot hand for the remainder of overtime, scoring TWU's final six points as the Pioneers held Cameron to 0-for-10 shooting in the overtime period.
TWU held a 59-43 rebounding edge, while shooting 35.5 percent from the floor to Cameron's 26.6 percent. The Pioneers made the most of their trips to the charity stripe, connecting on 19-of-24 free-throw attempts while Cameron was held to 3-of-4.
TWU held a 12-2 advantage in second-chance points, a 25-14 advantage in bench points, and a 30-10 advantage in points in the paint. Rebounding for the Pioneers was spread out evenly, as Woods and Jenkins both grabbed nine boards and Lentz added eight. Jenkins dished out a game-high five assists to go along with her nine boards and 16 points, while Woods narrowly missed a double-double, scoring 11 points.
The Pioneers conclude the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 27, traveling to Lawton, Okla. for a 2 p.m. rematch with Cameron.
-PIONEERS-