The Misericordia women's basketball team needed an extra five minutes to win, 59-52, at DeSales Tuesday evening.
Japriya Carroll had 17 points and three assists while Rachel Carmody had 16 points and nine rebounds. Justine Seely had 12 points, six blocks and 25 rebounds, which ties a school record (she ties assistant coach and former player Christine Marks).
Misericordia entered the fourth quarter up 29-28, and three minutes into the quarter, Carmody split a pair of free throws to make it 32-32 with 6:34 left in regulation.
Carmody caught the ball at the foul line, blew by her defender and laid it in to make it 34-32. After MU got a stop, Carmody scored again to make it 36-32 with five minutes left.
Leandra Sterner of DeSales scored five points seven in seconds: she drilled a three, stole the inbounds pass and then swished a jumper to make it 37-36 DeSales.
Liz Waleski split a pair of free throws to make it 37-37 with 4:12 left. Carmody grabbed the offensive rebound and then got tied up, but the arrow favored the Cougars. Carroll inbounded the ball to Seely, than ran to the near corner, took the pass from Seely and splashed in a three. That pushed MU ahead, 40-37 with just under four minutes to go.
Waleski split another pair of free throws, but DeSales scored the next five points to make it 43-41 with two minutes left.
Carmody stole the ball with 1:06 on the clock, and MU took a 30 second timeout. Out of the timeout, Carroll caught the ball on the left wing, drove inside and scored to tie the game at 43.
Misericordia locked down the Bulldogs on the ensuing possession, forcing a shot clock violation. DeSales stole the inbounds pass, and with 12 seconds left in the game the Bulldogs would get one final look. They missed, Forsyth's half court heave was off as well, so it was off to overtime in Center Valley.
Carmody drew a foul to open OT and split a pair. Seely grabbed the offensive rebound and was fouled before she split her foul shots to make it 45-43 MU.
After the teams exchanged misses, Carroll drilled a pull up jumper on the left wing to make it 47-43. The Cougars got another stop and then Seely banked in a jumper on the wing off a pass from Carroll.
After another DeSales miss, Carmody scored inside with her left hand to cap the MU 8-0 run to open OT as they led 51-43 with 2:41 to go.
DeSales started to get going, and they cut Misericordia's lead to five at 54-49 with 1:06 to go. Seely caught the ball in the heart of the Bulldog press and hit Croasdale in stride. Croasdale went to the hoop, decelerated on her second step as her defender flew by and she laid it in to make it 56-49.
DeSales came down and missed another three, and after getting fouled Carroll drilled two foul shots to ice the game.
The first half was a defensive battle, with eight lead changes and six ties in the first half.
Misericordia held DeSales to 24% shooting from the floor and 18% from three. The Cougars also out rebounded them, 63-43.
Misericordia won at DeSales for the second time ever. The last time they won at DeSales was 1998.
The Cougars clinched the second seed in the MAC Freedom Championships, and will host DeSales.
MU will finish the regular reason at Manhattanville, Saturday at 1:00.
