Lady Saints Fall In Overtime In Indy

INDEPENDENCE, Kan. – A late run by the Independence Pirates was too much too overcome for the No. 6 Seward County women's basketball team, falling in overtime, 80-73, and failing to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Region VI Tournament.

Seward (24-3, 20-3) began the game on a 7-2 run, starting with a Sidney Tinner three, but Independence quickly turned the momentum in their favor.  Erica Moore tied the game at seven with a three before the Lady Pirates took an   11-7 lead following a 9-0 run.  Midway through the quarter, Independence went on another run, this time extending their lead to 10 points.  A Tinner three ended the run and started a 9-0 run for the Lady Saints, as the teams ended the first quarter tied at 19.

It was a slow second quarter for the Lady Saints despite Moore, the Lady Pirates second leading scorer, leaving the game because of foul trouble just two minutes into the quarter.  After Moore left, the Lady Pirates went on an 8-0 run, with all eight points coming in the paint, while the Lady Saints didn't hit a field goal for nearly six minutes.  Silvia Veloso ended the drought with a steal and breakaway layup to make the game 34-28 just before the half.  Indy took a 37-32 lead into the break.

At the break, the Lady Saints were shot 44 percent (12 of 27) from the floor but hit just 4-of-14 from behind the arc.  The Lady Pirates on the other hand, connected on 54 percent of their shots (15 of 28) and 5-of-9 from deep.

The Lady Saints began the third quarter with a Tinner three pointer, but the Lady Pirates had an answer, keep the deficit at five points.  With 4:48 left in the quarter, Mollie Mounsey cut the lead to one with a three-pointer from the right win.  She kept the game at one point by hitting two free throws with just 1.8 seconds left in the quarter as the Lady Saints trailed 52-51 after three. 

It appeared the Lady Pirates would run away with the game, started with a 6-0 run with two threes, but Veloso quickly stopped the momentum with a three of her own.  With under two minutes to play, Lexi Hernandez connected on a three from the left wing as the shot clock expired to keep the Lady Saints with one point at 64-63.  Mounsey made another important three with 38 seconds to play, tying the game at 66.  Both teams got another possession before the end of regulation, but neither could get the ball in the basket as they remained tied at 66, heading into overtime.

Both teams hit their first shot of overtime, but a 7-0 run by the Lady Pirates proved to be too much for the Lady Saints.  Seward cut the lead to two points, but Independence held off the comeback, successfully ending the game 80-73.

Seward shot 39 percent (26 of 66) from the floor and just 32 percent (12 of 38) from behind the arc.  The Lady Saint allowed a season-high 57 percent shooting (30 of 53) from the floor, while Indy connected on 10-of-17 from deep.

Four Lady Saints scored in double figures – Mounsey (16 pts), Vilma Covane (15 pts), Silvia Veloso (12 pts) and Sidney Tinner (11 pts).

The Lady Saints will return to the Greenhouse on Wednesday, February 21 to take on the Colby Trojans at 6:00 p.m. The game will be free for all fans thanks to our sponsor Community Bank.  Free tickets can be picked up at Community Bank.