Box Score
HENDERSON, Tenn. -- The William Woods University women's basketball team was able to erase a 20-point second half deficit, but was unable to complete the comeback, as they fell to No. 2 Freed-Hardeman in the game's final seconds to suffer a 71-68 defeat on Saturday afternoon.
William Woods (21-9, 14-8 AMC) found itself down 54-34 with 15:08 remaining in the game, but furiously fought back to take a one-point lead at 62-61 after a Katie Scherder three-point basket with 3:20 remaining.
No. 2-ranked Freed-Harderman (29-1, 21-1 AMC) was able to answer Scherder's trifecta with a three-pointer of its own to reclaim a two-point advantage. The teams would trade baskets over the final two minutes, and with William Woods down 66-64, the Lady Lions had the ball with a chance to put them away.
Cynthia Woodward's three-point attempt was no good on the ensuing possession, but the Owls could not grab the rebound as FHU's Brittany Montgomery was able to pull down the offensive carom. Montgomery drew a two-shot foul and only hit 1-of-2, but Freed-Hardeman came up with the offensive rebound again and was sent back to the line.
Taleeah Cross was able to knock down the back end of the double bonus to give the Lady Lions a 68-64 lead with 29 seconds remaining. Andraquay Quinnine brought the Owls back within two points at 68-66 with 12 seconds left in the game, and after a timeout WWU sent Montgomery back to the line for two more shots.
Montgomery was able to knock down both shots this time to extend her team's lead back to four. Destani Stensrud raced down the court and scored a layup with four seconds remaining, as William Woods took another timeout.
The Owls fouled Emily Towery, sending her to the charity stripe for two shots. The guard hit 1-of-2 free throws to give WWU a chance at a tie. However, William Woods was unable to get a final shot off, as they suffered a hard-fought 71-68 defeat to the No. 2 team in the country in the regular season finale for both teams.
Quinnine finished with a career-high 27 points in the loss. The San Francisco native hit 8-of-13 from the floor, and 6-of-8 from behind the arc. As a team, William Woods hit an even 50 percent from downtown, as they connected on nine of their 18 attempts.
Scherder and Stensrud were the only other WWU players in the double-digit scoring column on the afternoon, as they posted 12 and 10 points respectively. The Owls were able to overcome a slow first half that saw them hit just 29 percent from the floor, as they shot an even 50 percent in the second half to give them a 40 percent shooting performance for the game.
William Woods was able to slow down the potent Freed-Hardeman offense in the second frame by allowing the Lady Lions to shot 25 percent for the half. WWU has particularly tough on FHU from behind the arc, as they shot just 18.2 percent for the game.
Hayley Newby and Grace de Alonso led the charge for the No. 2-ranked team in the country, as both players collected a double-double. Newby turned in a 24-point, 14-rebound performance, while de Alonso posted 12 points and 12 caroms.
The Owls will be back in action on Wednesday night, as they will host an American Midwest Conference Tournament Quarterfinal game. William Woods will play the winner of the Park University and Stephens College contest, which is set for Monday night. Tip-off for the AMC Quarterfinals is set for 7 p.m. at Anderson Arena.
Fans can see the complete AMC Tournament bracket by clicking the link here. Check back with wwuowls.com for a full preview of Wednesday's AMC Tournament Quarterfinal contest.
