Paxton Ritchey-CSC Sports Information
CHADRON, Neb. โ In a wild overtime game that featured 197 points, 16 lead changes, 10 ties, 65 free throws and 47 personal fouls, the Chadron State women’s basketball team came up one basket short as they lost a 99-98 thriller to Colorado Christian on Thursday night in the Chicoine Center.
The Eagles trailed by 12 points early in the third quarter and hit a game-tying three with 16 seconds left in regulation to send the game to an extra period but allowed a go-ahead basket from CCU’s Nicole Bowlin with two seconds left. The Eagles had an inbounds play with 1.2 seconds remaining to try and win the game, but Megan Counts’s jump shot missed.
The 98 points is the highest single-game total for CSC since the Eagles scored 102 against New Mexico Highlands in the 2013-14 season. That game went to double overtime.
In yet another positive, the Eagles finished the game with both a season-high 19 assists and a season-low nine turnovers despite playing an extra five minutes.
Kyra Tanabe finished with 22 points, eight assists and six rebounds to lead the Eagles, now 4-15 with a 3-10 RMAC record, as five CSC players scored in double figures.
Colorado Christian, which improved to 7-14 overall and 5-8 in the RMAC, received 32 points from Victoria Perez and 26 from Bowlin in the victory.
Kylie Krise hit the game-extending three-pointer, part of a 3-for-6 day from deep for the Colorado native, finishing with 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Chadron State also had big offensive days from Megan Counts (17 pts, 6-10 FG), Allison Richards (16 points) and Ashayla Powers (13 points).
It may go without saying, but both teams shot the ball well from the field, making nearly half their field goal attempts. Chadron State hit 48.6 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from three-point range (8-24) and had a 71 percent day from the line with nine missed free throws (22-31).
Colorado Christian was better than the Eagles from the field (49.3 percent), worse from beyond the arc (31.6 percent, 6-19) and better from the line (79.4 percent, 27-34). The two teams were dead even with 38 rebounds each and 44 points in the paint apiece.
The Eagles showed resiliency to get back in the game, as they trailed 46-36 at halftime and were down by double digits, 59-48, as late as 4:02 to go in the third quarter. A 10-0 run nearly erased that advantage, with Krise hitting a three, Allison Richards getting a fastbreak layup, Ashayla Powers getting a layup plus the foul shot and Krise pouncing on a putback off a missed three to pull CSC within one in the span of less than 90 seconds.
Chadron State actually built a seven-point lead with just under eight minutes to play, but the Cougars rallied to tie it at 76-76 with 4:17 left, and the teams stayed within a basket or two of one another the rest of the way.
With Colorado Christian leading by two at 85-83, CCU went one-for-two from the line, opening the door. Allison Richards drove the lane and kicked out to a wide-open Krise, whose straight-on three-pointer swished through and ignited the Chicoine Center crowd.
In the extra period, the two teams exchanged the lead eight times in those five minutes alone. Perez took over for Colorado Christian, scoring all 11 of the team’s points in overtime up until Bowlin’s eventual game-winning basket. The Eagles were an uncharacteristic 3-for-6 from the free throw line in the final 40 seconds of the game.
Chadron State will have an opportunity to rebound with a home game this Saturday against CSU Pueblo (13-8, 8-5 RMAC). The ThunderWolves lost Thursday to Black Hills State by a 62-48 score.