DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - On Thursday night, the Embry-Riddle women's basketball team set an unlikely record, playing the most overtime periods in the history of NAIA women's basketball in a five-overtime loss to Southeastern. The Eagles and Fire battled it out for nearly three hours before the visitors came out on top, 96-91. With the defeat, ERAU drops to 14-10, 6-8 in conference play, while SEU improves to 22-5, 13-2 in the league.
The five overtimes breaks the previous NAIA women's basketball record which was set in 2001 in a game between Houghton (N.Y.) and Mount Aloysius (Pa.) and then equalled by Morningside (Iowa) and Hastings (Neb.) in 2004. The only NAIA basketball game that lasted longer than Thursday night's affair was an NAIA I men's basketball contest between Yankton (S.D.) and Black Hills State (S.D.) that went seven overtimes in 1956.
Mercedes Jorge led all players with a program-record 28 points to go along with 16 rebounds, which tied a program record, in 57 minutes of action. Sabrina Whiting added 23 points and nine rebounds while Taylor Cyphers tallied 10 points and 13 boards. Kalah Martin and Tara Fields each set season-highs in rebounding with 14 and 13, respectively.
Carlie Newman led the Fire with 25 points and 15 rebounds and Hannah Demarest chipped in a double-double as well with 14 points and 16 boards. Alyssa Ramos tallied 24 points in 61 minutes of play and Cassidy Block added 11 points and nine rebounds.
As a team, the Eagles set a number single-game records, including points (91), field goal attempts (113), rebounds (80) and blocked shots (7).
Embry-Riddle got off to a good start, taking an early 5-0 lead just over a minute into the game. ERAU extended the lead to 13 by the 7:26 mark, which would prove to be the largest lead of the contest for either side. The Fire closed out the half on a 9-0 run over the final 3:08 to knot things up at 33 at halftime.
As they did in the first half, the Eagles opened the scoring in the second, taking a 37-33 lead with 18:19 to play in regulation. At the 14:36 mark, Southeastern took the lead for the first time in the second period, moving in front 41-39.
SEU pushed its lead up to five points (46-41) just before the halfway point of the second half, but less than two minutes later Hannah Carine scored a layup to put the Blue and Gold back in front, 47-46.
The Eagles held a 56-52 advantage with 2:20 left in the second half, but Demarest scored the final four points of the half and Martin missed a layup just before the buzzer, sending the two teams into overtime tied at 56.
It took nearly two minutes into the first overtime for either team to score, and it was Newman making a layup to put SEU ahead by two. Jorge hit two free throws 90 seconds later to tie it up before Newman made another layup to give the Fire a 60-58 lead with 1:07 on the clock. Fields was able to get fouled on the next possession and converted both free throws, tying the game at 60. Block had a number of chances to seal the victory for SEU, but she missed two free throws with 26 seconds left and a layup just before the horn, so the teams played on into a second OT period.
Newman made two free throws to open the scoring in the second overtime, but a three-point play for Jorge gave ERAU its first lead of the overtime (65-63) with 2:43 left. A triple from Ramos put SEU ahead by one but Jorge came back with a layup to shift the lead back to ERAU, 67-66, with 1:44 to play. The Fire had a chance to regain the lead with 23 seconds left, but Demarest made just one of two free throws to tie the game at 67. After both teams turned it over in the final 15 seconds, Whiting had an opportunity to end it but missed the layup, sending the game into a third overtime.
Ramos drilled a three just over a minute into the third OT, but Embry-Riddle responded with an Ashley McWilliams layup and a Whiting trey, putting the Eagles in front, 72-70 with 2:13 on the clock. After Demarest hit a jumper to tie it at 72, Whiting came down the floor and hit another three to make it a 75-72 game. Not to be outdone, Demarest knocked down a triple on the next possession, tying it at 75. Both teams missed multiple shots in the last minute of the period, including Martin's jumper at the buzzer, and the teams marched on to a fourth overtime.
Bailey Hooker scored just five seconds into the fourth OT, marking the fourth straight overtime period that Southeastern got on the board first. Helga Fridriksdottir connected for a three that gave ERAU a one-point lead (78-77) with 4:13 on the clock, but the Fire rallied back and regained the lead (80-79) on a Ramos three with 2:29 to play. Block and McWilliams exchanged layups with just over a minute remaining to make it an 82-81 score. Ramos had a chance to stretch the lead to three from the charity stripe, but made just one of two free throws with 11 ticks on the clock. The Eagles got the ball up the floor quickly and Whiting came up with a huge bucket just before the clock hit zero's, knotting the game up at 83 and extending the contest to a record-setting fifth overtime.
For the fifth consecutive overtime period, Southeastern got on the board first, this time on a Newman three. Whiting answered back with a field goal on the next possession, and Jorge made a layup with 2:56 to play that gave ERAU a one-point lead (87-86). Dearest and Block each made a pair of free throws on back-to-back possessions to put the Fire back in front, 90-87 with 1:47 left. Ashle Muse made a layup with 37 seconds left to cut the margin to one (91-90), and after Block made one-of-two from the free throw line, Martin had a chance to tie it from the charity strip with 14 seconds remaining. Martin split the free throws, forcing the Eagles to foul on the next SEU possession. Newman converted both to make it a three-point game, and Whiting couldn't keep the game alive with a three-point attempt in the final seconds. Block made two free throws with one second remaining to seal the 96-91 victory for Southeastern.
The Eagles have a short turnaround as they host St. Thomas on Saturday evening at 5 p.m. inside the ICI Center.
