ST. LOUIS - William Woods University (4-5, 2-1 American Midwest Conference) trailed by 12 points against the University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy in St. Louis (1-6, 1-2) at the start of the fourth quarter, then the Owls clawed their way back with a
Katie Keilholz 3-pointer off a
Mariah Prince steal and assist with less than a second left tying it at 64 and sending it to overtime. Carrying its momentum into OT, WWU outscored UHSP 11-8 to snatch a 75-72 AMC victory over the Eutectics Thursday at UHSP Gymnasium.
The Woods' win not only put it above .500 in the AMC, but it was the first time since NAIA all-time career scoring leader Grace Beyer's freshman season that the Owls beat UHSP, and it was the first time in four seasons that they defeated the Eutectics in St. Louis. WWU controls the all-time series with UHSP 13-7, with all seven of the Owls' losses to the Eutectics coming with Beyer on their roster.
While Keilholz was the shot-making hero off the bench, with one of her two makes from deep - finished 2-3 from 3-point range for six of her eight points -
Sydney Booker and
Mariah Prince were the Owls in the starting five to lead the way. Booker posted her fifth double-double this season with a season-high 22 points (6-8 free throws) and 16 rebounds - Booker's most since she collected 16 boards at Missouri Baptist University on Jan. 22, 2022 - and Prince had nine points, six rebounds, four steals - game-high and two fewer steals than UHSP had as a team - one block and one assist.
It wasn't just the end of the contest that was close, as there were five lead changes and two ties in the first quarter. Still, WWU only led by as much as two points (4-2) when Booker went 2-2 from the free-throw line, and the last time it tied it in the first quarter was at 8-8 on a
Peyton Dearing layup. The Eutectics went on a 7-0 run after that, with Reece Halley's jumper off a Montasia McAllister defensive board capping that stretch and putting the hosts ahead 15-8. Ensuring UHSP didn't go up by double digits, the Owls went on an 8-2 run;
Layla Young scored half those points, including a 3, to make it 17-16 Eutectics after one quarter.
UHSP was in control to begin the second, outscoring Woods 14-5 to start the quarter, which gave it a 10-point lead at 31-21 with 4:23 to go before halftime. With three of the five points coming from the charity stripe, the Owls went on a 5-2 run to put it at 33-26 Eutectics with 2:09 left in the first half. The closest WWU got to UHSP before halftime came with :50 remaining, when Dearing stole the ball, and Booker got a putback to fall, cutting the Owls' deficit to 35-28. The Eutectics' Karsyn Morgan ended the first-half scoring by draining a 3 to further their lead to 38-28 at the break. UHSP outscored WWU 21-12 in the second quarter, and it was the Eutetics' highest-scoring quarter of regulation and the Owls' lowest-scoring.
UHSP kept hitting its shots to begin the second half, taking the largest lead of the matchup at 46-30 on McAllister's jumper off a Morgan assist with 7:32 left in the third quarter. The Eutectics remained ahead by double digits the rest of the third, but after they took their most significant advantage, the Owls outscored them 13-9 to end the quarter, which brought it to a 12-point (55-43) game going into the fourth quarter.
William Woods had already experienced being the team giving up 21 points in the final quarter of a half, but it wanted to be the one scoring 21 in the final quarter of the half that mattered more. The Owls did just that, and not only did they do that, they also held UHSP to the least points in a regulation quarter, outscoring the Eutetics 21-9 in the fourth quarter. Booker paced Woods' offense to open the fourth quarter, scoring seven of its first 11 points, with her layup off a
Jersee Wren defensive rebound concluding that period and making it a one-possession deficit (57-54) for the Owls with 5:51 remaining. Just over a minute later,
India Atkins converted 1-of-2 free throws to put it at 57-55 UHSP, but the Eutectics scored the following five points to hand them a 62-55 advantage with 1:47 left.Â
After that, WWU called timeout, and it flipped a switch. Southern Boone graduates Prince and Wren hit two free throws each in back-to-back drives, with the latter's makes trimming the Owls' deficit to 62-59 with :22 on the clock. UHSP sent it back to a five-point game with two free throw makes on its ensuing possession. However, WWU ramped up the intensity even more after its final timeout with :15 left: Dearing scored a layup, and then on the Eutectics' throw-in after that basket, Prince swiped the ball from UHSP and dished it to Keilholz, who found nothing but net with less than a second left to tie it at 64 and push the game to overtime.
Crashing the glass for three boards (one offensive) and pouncing the ball for a steal, the Owls began overtime on a 5-1 run. Booker's layup, provided by Dearing off a Prince steal, ended that run and made it 70-65 William Woods with 2:59 remaining. The Eutectis answered with five points unanswered to knot it at 70 with :52 left, then the Owls called their final timeout and went on a game-deciding 5-2 run. The final three points of Booker's season-best performance were the dagger, as she knocked down 3-of-4 free throws to seal the 75-72 WWU win.
The Owls tallied 44 rebounds (eight offensive) with four second-chance points, scored 17 points off 15 forced turnovers and were 25-71 (35.2 percent) from the field, 4-16 (25 percent) from deep and 21-32 (65.6 percent) from the free-throw line. UHSP collected 48 boards (13 offensive) with 11 second-chance points, notched seven points off nine forced turnovers and made 26-78 (33.3 percent) field goals, 9-24 (37.5 percent) 3-pointers and 11-15 (73.3 percent) free throws.
William Woods looks to extend its winning AMC record when it plays in front of its home crowd, hosting Harris-Stowe State University (2-4, 1-2 AMC) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Anderson Arena in Fulton. The Owls have won their last five games versus the Hornets, taking the most recent 69-51 on Feb. 13 in Fulton.
