DILLON, Mont. (Dec. 14, 2014) â€" Free throws played their part down the stretch, but it was senior Callie Cox who connected on a 3-pointer as time expired Sunday evening to send the Milligan College women's basketball team to a 71-68 win at University of Montana Western in the Buffaloes final game of 2014.
 
"This is a big win for us as we head into Christmas break," Head Coach Rich Aubrey said. "We beat a very good team with a very good team effort. We hope to take this and build on it when we return."
 
The 3-pointer was Cox's third made 3-pointer of the game and came after the Buffaloes (3-11, 2-5 Appalachian Athletic Conference) scored 17 straight points from the foul line. Sophomore Kelly Barnett had the assist after finding Cox open on the left wing. Montana Western, the third-best team in the nation in scoring defense at 52.1 PPG, dropped to 7-4.
 
Leading up to the final possession-which started at the opposite end of the court with 4.6 seconds to go in regulation-Milligan had scored all 17 of its preceding points from the free throw line. Barnett had scored Milligan's last made field goal on a layup that gave the Buffs their largest lead of the game, 51-38, near the 12-minute mark. Over the last stretch, Barnett, Hayley Wyrick and Allison Jones combined to go 17-of-20 (85.0%) from the free throw line as MWU committed 10 fouls over the last 10 minutes. Barnett and Wyrick made each of their last 12 free throws over the final three minutes.
 
Over the final two and a half minutes, the game featured four ties and three lead changes, and the two teams combined to shoot 14 free throws during that same stretch. Milligan made all eight while Montana Western was 4-of-6.
 
Barnett led Milligan in scoring with a career high 19 points, breaking her previous career high of 15 which she set in Saturday's loss to University of Greats Falls. Wyrick, Cox and Jones all came next in Milligan's scoring column with 11 points apiece. Wyrick continued her streak of double-digit scoring games to 18 games, dating back to last February, although she cut it close tonight, waiting until the final 30 seconds to register her 10th point.
 
Milligan finished the game 21-of-26 (80.0%) from the free throw line and 8-of-24 (33.3%) from 3-point territory. Cox's game winner was the fourth made triple for the Buffs in the second half.
 
Senior Chelsey Weddle was a point away from her fourth double-double of the season as she scored nine points and had a team high 11 rebounds. Lindsee Price registered a career high seven assists with no turnovers in the win.
 
For Montana Western, Sierra Higheagle scored 20 points, including a game-tying 3-pointer with 17 seconds left. Kaye Bignell led all rebounds with 12 alongside 12 points.
 
Milligan's next game will be in 2015 when the Buffs travel to Waleska, Georgia, with the men to face Reinhardt University (7-5, 4-2 AAC) in an AAC doubleheader. The Buffaloes will be back home on Saturday, Jan. 10 against Bluefield College.