Cobras Win in Overtime at Lenoir-Rhyne 73-72 on Saturday

HICKORY, N.C. - Coker University women's basketball won in overtime 73-72 at Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday (Jan. 22) in South Atlantic Conference action.

The teams played through a back-and-forth first quarter, which left Lenoir-Rhyne with an 18-13 lead.

Coker won the second quarter 19-12 to take its first lead of the contest late in the second quarter. Lenoir-Rhyne stretched its lead to eight early in the frame, before Coker battled back to tie the game up at 22 halfway through the period. After the teams played to a 26-26 deadlock with under four minutes to play in the frame, Coker would score six of the final 10 points in the frame to take a 32-30 lead to the break.

Coker opened up the third quarter on an 11-2 run through the first two and a half minutes, eventually growing the lead to as many as 15 in the frame. L-R would eventually cut the lead to nine at the end of the quarter, as the Cobras led 52-43 headed to the fourth.

Lenoir-Rhyne would rally in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime tied at 63.

Lenoir-Rhyne scored the first seven points of the overtime period, before Coker rallied to tie things up at 70 with 1:25 to play in the period. A layup from Dasia Lambert put the Cobras ahead 72-70 with 46 seconds to play, before Hannah McClung sunk two free throws to knot the game back up with 19 seconds to play. Working without a shot clock, the Cobras put the ball in the hands of sophomore Abigail Keesling, who drove the lane and drew a foul with just four seconds remaining. Keesling sunk the first one, before the Bears came up empty on a heave off the second one to secure the win for Coker.

Keesling led the scoring effort with a career-high 18 points in the game, while Ashauntee Nelson posted a season-best 17 points and Lambert contributed a career-high 15 points. Five other Cobras aided in the scoring effort in the win. Coker out-rebounded L-R 31-28 in the game, led by five boards apiece from Saquita Joyner and Hope Richardson. Six other Cobras were active on the glass in the win. Keesling and Nelson each dished out a team-high four assists in the game, while Joyner, Richardson and Mariah Mitchem each helped on one Coker bucket in the game. Nelson led the way with three steals in the game, while Joyner had two and Keesling, Lambert and Richardson each had one. Nelson also posted the lone block on the day for the Cobras.  

The Cobras return to action on Monday (Jan. 24) at Newberry in South Atlantic Conference action. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. from Newberry, S.C., with video and live stats available at www.cokercobras.com.