WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. — Milligan University's women's basketball program played the second game of a back-to-back at the Patriot Classic hosted by the University of the Cumberlands. After a tough shooting night against No. 6 Lindsay Wilson on Thursday, the Lady Buffs displayed incredible resilience to defeat the host (RV) Cumberlands Patriots (3-3) in overtime, 75-71, on Friday morning.
Lina Lyon led the way for MU with 15 points, including a three-pointer with seven seconds remaining in regulation that sent the game into overtime.
Jenna Hare opened the scoring for Milligan with a triple to tie the game at three after Cumberlands scored the first points of the contest. The two sides exchanged baskets early, and a Lyon layup with under five minutes remaining in the opening period tied the score at eight.
Ellie Linx buried a shot from beyond the arc at the 4:10 mark to give the Buffs an 11-8 advantage, but neither team scored again until there were 44 seconds remaining in the quarter. The Patriots then answered with a three-pointer of their own to send the game into the second quarter tied at 11.
In a low-scoring defensive battle, Milligan scored nine of its 11 first-quarter points from beyond the arc, shooting 3-for-10 from three-point range. The Patriots also found success from deep, connecting on two of their six attempts for six of their 11 points. Both defenses were stifling, as Milligan shot just 4-for-15 (26.7%) from the field but held Cumberlands to 4-for-18 (22.2%) shooting.
The offenses were much more efficient in the second quarter, which matched the fourth as the highest-scoring period of the game with 38 combined points. The score remained tied at 19 following a series of exchanged baskets, but a
Zoe Rector three-pointer with 5:25 remaining gave Milligan a 23-19 lead. The Patriots responded with a 13-5 run over the final four minutes of the half to take a 32-28 advantage into the break. Milligan shot 6-for-20 (30.0%) from the field during the period, while Cumberlands connected on 10 of its 21 attempts (47.6%) as both offenses found a better rhythm.
Cumberlands came out of the break with a 5-0 spurt to extend the lead to 37-31 and build momentum in front of a home crowd filled with local schoolchildren attending the Patriots' Education Day game. However, the Buffs were unfazed, as
Makenzie Bremer engineered a 5-0 run of her own with a three-pointer and a pair of free throws to pull Milligan within one. The Buffs remained within a point at the 5:46 mark after Lyon scored at the rim, but the Patriots appeared poised to seize control with a 9-0 run that stretched their advantage to 10 with 3:05 left in the third quarter.
Elivia Moore and Lyon accounted for Milligan's final points of the period, with Moore sticking a jumper at the 2:46 mark and Lyon scoring at the rim again at the 1:46 mark. Despite the late baskets, Cumberlands carried a 52-44 lead into the fourth quarter.
Hare scored the first basket of the fourth quarter for Milligan, but Cumberlands extended its lead back to 10 at 56-46 just over a minute into the final period. Once again, the resiliency of the Buffs was on full display as the visitors responded with an 11-5 run fueled by a Moore three-pointer and a Lyon layup.
Savannah Jenkins then delivered in a key moment, knocking down a triple with 4:19 remaining to trim the deficit to just one. Lyon followed with a jumper to give Milligan its first lead of the second half at 62-61, but the Patriots answered with the next four points to reclaim a three-point advantage with less than two minutes to play. The Buffs showed incredible grit down the stretch, coming up with back-to-back defensive stops. However, they were unable to capitalize offensively until Hare converted a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to 65-64 with 21 seconds remaining.
Forced to foul, Milligan sent the Patriots to the free-throw line, where they connected on both attempts to push the lead back to three with 19 seconds left. Needing a three-pointer to extend the game, Bremer secured an offensive rebound and found Lyon at the top of the arc, where she buried a clutch triple to tie the score at 67. Moments later, Hare came away with a crucial defensive play by drawing a charge with four seconds remaining, giving the Buffs one final opportunity to win the game in regulation. However, a broken play following a loose handle resulted in a contested heave that missed the mark, sending the contest to a decisive overtime period.
In overtime,
Callie Reeder quickly swung the momentum in Milligan's favor with a three-pointer and followed it with a layup to give the Buffs a 72-69 lead. A Patriot layup cut the deficit to one with 1:57 remaining, but Lyon came away with a steal and Bremer grabbed a defensive rebound to shut down back-to-back Cumberlands possessions and preserve the lead. Bremer delivered again moments later, securing an offensive rebound that led to a foul with just three seconds separating the shot and game clocks and 11 seconds remaining. Linx split a pair of free throws to extend the lead to 73-71, and the Buffs came up with another defensive stop on the ensuing possession. Bremer then sealed the 75-71 victory with a pair of free throws with two seconds remaining.
Four Buffaloes scored in double figures as part of a balanced offensive effort that saw 10 different players contribute points. Lyon poured in 15 points and flirted with a triple-double en route to her second career double-double, adding 11 rebounds and a career high eight assists. Reeder followed with 11 points, while Linx and Hare chipped in 10 apiece. For Linx, it marked the first double-digit scoring performance of her Milligan career. Bremer nearly reached double figures with nine points, while Moore added six.
A trio of Buffs added three points each, all coming from beyond the arc, as Kabrina Revels,
Savannah Jenkins and
Dachelle Lucas each connected on a three-pointer. Milligan's depth proved pivotal in the victory, with the Buffs receiving 30 points from their bench.
Alongside Lyon, Caroline Kruger also reached double figures on the glass with 10 rebounds. Hare and Bremer collected eight rebounds apiece, while Reeder hauled in six. Moore added three boards, Revels grabbed two, and four other Buffs chipped in one rebound each.
With the win, Milligan (3-1) successfully completed the split at the Patriot Classic. The Buffs will look to continue the momentum from their first road victory when they return home on Wednesday, Nov. 11 for their Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) opener against Brenau (2-0). Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. inside Steve Lacy Fieldhouse.
