Thunderbirds Win OT Thriller Against Tetons 73-72
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Williston State College (5-9, 3-4) | 12 | 19 | 20 | 13 | 8 | 72 |
|
Mesa Community College (6-4, 3-3) | 22 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 9 | 73 |
Williston State College
| Game Statistics | Williston State College | Mesa Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (26-71) | (28-90) |
| Field Goal % | 36.6% | 31.1% |
| Rebounds | 43 | 56 |
| Assists | 20 | 13 |
| Turnovers | 21 | 15 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 16 | 22 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 11 | 13 |
| Pts in the Paint | 32 | 36 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 10 | 8 |
| Bench Pts | 2 | 17 |
MESA, AZ - The Mesa Community College women's basketball team won a nailbiter, 73-72 in overtime against the Williston State College Tetons on Saturday evening inside of Theo Heap Gymnasium.
With the victory, the Mesa Thunderbirds improve to 6-4 overall, while the Williston State Tetons fall to 5-9 with the loss.
Mesa jumped out early on the Tetons, striking for 22 points in the first quarter; taking a 22-12 lead after 10 minutes of play. Williston State responded with a strong second quarter, as they outscored the T-Birds 19-13 to draw within four. At the half, Mesa held a slim 35-31 lead; following a last second bucket by Stacey Begay.
Williston State started off the second half strong. The Tetons for the second straight quarter, outscored the Thunderbirds 20-13 to claim the lead. In the fourth quarter, Mesa would respond and keep themselves in the game. Both teams got in foul trouble late and the Tetons were able to make a pair of free-throws with eight seconds remaining, to send the game into overtime all-nodded at 64 points a piece.
In OT, Mesa's defense held the Tetons to 2-11 shooting, while the T-Birds shot 30% from the field. Myka Taliman was fouled with five seconds left in OT and the score was even at 72. Taliman missed her first free-throw attempt, but calmly knocked down the second to give Mesa the lead by one. Following a timeout, the Tetons tried a half-court heave but it came up short and the T-Birds came away victorious.
In the win, the Thunderbirds had three players score in double-figures. Mykah Anderson led the way with 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Stacey Begay and Jayla Johnson both finished with double-doubles. Begay had 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Johnson finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
These same two squads will square off again tomorrow for a matinee inside of Theo Heap Gymnasium. Tip time is scheduled for 1pm and can be seen live on T-Birds Sports Live.
