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Pitt-Johnstown
90, West Liberty 84 -- Overtime
(3/8/2001)
SHIPPENSBURG--Pitt-Johntown edged West Liberty 90-84 in
overtime in the nightcap of the NCAA Division II East Region women's
quarterfinal. Jessica Rietscha scored 23 points to pace the Lady Cats
to the win.
Pitt-Johnstown led by eight points, 74-66 with 3:44 left in regulation
when West Liberty staged a dramatic comeback. The Hilltoppers’ 6-11
center Jaana Kotova scored a layup at 3:23 to narrow the gap to 74-68.
Point guard Adrianne Harlow made the first of two free throws at 2:45
but missed the second. Katie Bohus grabbed the rebound and fed the ball
to Kotova, who scored, narrowing the gap to 74-71. Neither team scored
for the next minute and a half but Bohus broke the drought with a
three-pointer from the corner to tie the game 74-74 with 1:00 left.
Meredith Hollis scored a layup with 49 seconds and then Kotova made one
of two free throws with 26 seconds to play and West Liberty trailed by
a point, 76-75.
Lindsay Baker hit a pair of free throws with 25 seconds
left to give Pitt-Johnstown a three-point lead, but Bohus hit another
three-pointer to tie the game 78-78 with 10 seconds left.
Pitt-Johnstown missed a shot at the buzzer and the game went into
overtime.
In the overtime period Rietscha hit four of four from
the field and one of two from the foul line to pace Pitt-Johnstown.
Melissa Park drew first blood in the overtime with a jumper at 4:27.
Harlow sank one of two free throws to narrow the gap to 80-79 at 3:49.
Rietscha scored six unanswered points to give the Lady Cats an 86-79
lead at 1:36. West Liberty battled back but could not get any closer
than 88-84 with five seconds to play. Rietscha sealed the win with a
basket with one second left in the game.
Pitt-Johnstown raised its record to 25-3. It was the
eighteenth victory in a row for the Lady Cats. West Liberty finishes
its season with a 25-5 record. Pitt-Johnstown will play first seeded
Shippensburg at 8:00 p.m, Friday in the semi-final.
The tournament will conclude on Saturday.
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