POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. - Sydney Booker led four Owls in double figures with a game-high 27 points, but the William Woods University women's basketball team fell in overtime, Friday night, 82-79 at College of the Ozarks.
The Owls (1-1) had 14 points from both
Natalie Thomas and
Katie Keilholz, and
Kourtney Kendrick added 10 more off the bench, while C of O had two players - Kayley Frank and Susanna Moran - go for 22 points, moving the Bobcats to 2-1.
William Woods trailed 22-11 at the close of the first quarter, but Woods opened the second on a 4-0 run, and with 2:50 left in the half, Booker scored to bring the Owls within nine, a run that ultimately trimmed the Ozarks lead to 35-22 at the half, as the Owls closed the second quarter on back-to-back 3-pointers from Keilholz.
Ozarks extended the lead to six early in the third quarter, but with 1:48 left in the third, the Bobcats had their lead erased for the first time in the game when Kendrick drained a three to make it 49-49. Another basket by
Olivia Hanks had the Owls within two a the end of the third, and with 7:04 to go in the game, William Woods had its first lead of the contest, 60-58, on another triple from Keilholz. That lead would grow to five on a basket and free throw by Booker with 5:59 to go, and with 2:19 left, Thomas struck from the lane to regain a lead, 69-68, after an Ozarks run had the Bobcats in front with 2:31 left.
The Owls led in to the game's final possession, but with 41 seconds to go, Frank hit the back end of two free throws to tie the game at 70. Woods never led in the overtime period, despite tying the game three times. C of O pulled away in the final 39 seconds, making 4-of-6 final-minute free throws to secure a three-point win.
Ozarks also secured the win on the glass, out-rebounding William Woods 61-55, including 22 offensive boards that led to 21 second-chance points.
William Woods returns home Thursday, hosting Blue Mountain Christian University at 5 p.m., inside Anderson Arena.
