Site: Livonia, Mich. (Activities Center)
Score: Madonna University 87, Siena Heights University 85 - Overtime
Records: MU 8-12 (4-4 WHAC); SHU 15-9 (4-4 WHAC)
Next MU event: Wednesday February 3 vs. Aquinas (Activities Center)

BOX SCORE

LIVONIA, Mich. (MadonnaCrusaders.com) - -It took an extra five minutes but the Madonna University women's basketball team overcame an early 25-1 run by Siena Heights University to escape with an 87-85 overtime win inside the Activities Center on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 30).

Freshman Shantelle Herring (Macomb, Mich.) led Madonna with 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Fellow rookie Kaylee McGrath (Livonia, Mich.) added 15 points while juniors Tabatha Wydryck (Wyandotte, Mich.), Katie Mount (Waterford, Mich.) and sophomore Heather Goodwin (Temperance, Mich.) each added 10 markers with Goodwin posting 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. Shalaha Hubbard led all scorers with 23 points, connecting on five triples for the Saints.

Madonna opened the game on an 11-1 run sparked by triples from Wydryck, Bentley and McGrath to go up by 10 with 15:17 left in the half.

Siena Heights then proceeded to go on a run of its own - a 25-1 swing - that put the visiting side on top 26-12 with just over five and a half minutes to go in the opening stanza.

The game's trend of runs continued as the Crusaders responded with an 18-2 run of their own to cut the Saints lead down to just two. Herring started the run with back-to-back triples and was followed by a three from McGrath that made it 28-18 SHU. A fourth three from Heather Pratt (Flushing, Mich.) made it a six point game at 30-24 before a pair of Herring free throws and a McGrath score off of a pass from senior Kim Olech (Canton, Mich.) made it 30-28 with 36 seconds left in the half. 

SHU converted a pair of free throws as the half ended to take a 32-28 led into intermission.

Coming out of the break Madonna opened the half on a 5-0 run to go on top 33-32 thanks to a Goodwin free throw. The two sides traded baskets before another Goodwin scored another basket and converted a pair of free throws to put the Crusaders up by four at 39-35 with 16:42 left in regulation.

The Crusaders and Saints continued to trade scores, forcing five more ties over the next 10 minutes. After the seventh tie of the game - this one at 59-all, Mount hit a three to put MU on top 62-59 with 5:59 left. MU maintained the lead, eventually pushing it out to as much as a six-point cushion at 68-62 thanks to a pair of free throws from Mount with 4:15 showing on the clock.

SHU battled back to force the eighth tie of the game at 69-all with 1:36 left on a Tanci Levit three from the corner. Wydryck put MU back up by a pair but that lead was short lived as Lauren Crockett tied the game with a pair of free throws to make it 71-71. 

Herring put MU up two with a runner in the lane but SHU answered back as Levitt converted both free throws with 23 seconds left to tie the game at 73-all. MU had one last chance to win it but Olech's shot would not fall and the two sides headed to overtime deadlocked at 73.

After falling behind by two, Herring went on a personal 5-0 run - knocking down a three and then stealing the ball and going coast to coast for the lay up to put Madonna on top by three at 78-75.

A jumper from Mount put MU up four at 82-78 with 2:27 left before a 5-0 SHU run put the Saints back up by one at 85-84 with 1:16 left.

Herring was fouled going for a rebound and forced the game's 11^th tie by making her first free throw and then put MU on top for good (86-85) by making the second with 50 seconds left. Pratt split a pair with 20 seconds left to make it 87-85 and that held up for a two-point Madonna win.

The Crusaders stay at home for their next game, opening up a double header of MU basketball on Wednesday (Feb. 3) against Aquinas. The women get the night started with a 5:30pm tip against the Saints. That game will be carried live on the Crusader Radio Network starting with the 5:25pm pre-game show.

QUOTES
Head Coach Carl Graves
On the 25-1 run SHU made in the first half:
"We've seen it so many times before. It seems like every time we are able to do some good things we tend to relax and part of that is us being young. We have a bad habit of doing that and it's cost us so many games. I feel like the kids had enough of it and they buckled down and played good defense to end the half. When we hit shots it helps our defense. They go on that run and you think ‘Oh, no, not again', especially after our last performance against Concordia."

On the difference in the play during MU's 18-4 run to end the half and it during the 25-1 SHU run:

"We had to make a couple of changes to the offense and throw in a few ball screens to free up our shooters. They have some great on the ball defenders who are very quick so we made an adjustment there to set up the offense. Once we were able to do that we were able to get the shots that we wanted."

On the play at the end of regulation to try and win the game:
"We did have a shot and I think we did not get the shot we wanted after we passed the ball off. The more of these situations we get put in we will get better. We learn from them and grow from them."

Freshman guard Shantelle Herring
On her 21 point, seven rebound performance:
"I was a little shakey at the beginning and knew I had to step up my game because we knew it was going to be a tough game. I think overall I played well under the pressure we had."

On the mood of the team and what was being said during SHU's run:
"We had to pick up our defense since our defense is what brings our offense and that's what happened. We picked it up and we got back into the game and took the lead."

Sophomore forward Heather Goodwin
On what she was thinking during SHU's run:
"I know in my head it seemed like a replay of what happened at their place because. I did not want to let that happen again. We knew we had to take it one possession at a time."

Contact: Patrick Moore (734) 432-5834