Greensboro, NC (01/18/03) -- Junior point guard Nicole McCrory (Charlotte, NC/East Mecklenburg) scored five of her career-high 12 points in the second overtime to lift Guilford past visiting Bridgewater, 68-62, in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) women's basketball action Saturday.
The Quakers' sixth straight win and ninth in 10 games extends their school-record home winning streak to 19 games. Guilford's win, coupled with Lynchburg's 61-59 loss to Hollins Saturday, moves the Quakers (9-4, 7-2 ODAC) into first place in the league standings. Bridgewater falls to 4-9 (3-6 ODAC) with its seventh loss in eight games and its fifth by six or fewer points.
Bridgewater nearly ended the Quakers' streaks in the first overtime when it jumped out to a 55-51 lead on two free throws apiece by junior guard Marie Bolton (Leesburg, VA/Loudon County) and sophomore center Krystal Hermes (Warrenton, VA/Liberty). Guilford's Jennie Keichline (Chapel Hill, NC/East Chapel Hill) scored back-to-back baskets to knot the game at 55-55. Bridgewater senior Megan Forster (Shawsville, VA/Shawsville) gave the Eagles a 57-55 edge with two free throws with a minute left in the first overtime, but Keichline's two clutch free throws with 11 seconds left tied the game for the seventh and final time and forced a second overtime period.
A foul-line jumper by Guilford's Kristyn Casey (Jupiter, FL/Benjamin School) started the second-overtime scoring. After a Lindsey Andrews (Buffalo Gap, VA/Buffalo Gap) turnover, McCrory buried a three-pointer from the top of the key for a 62-57 Quakers' lead. The teams traded baskets before McCrory made two free throws with 1:56 left for a 66-59 Guilford advantage.
Bolton and junior center Katie Brennan (Frederick, MD/Frederick) scored 12 second-half points apiece to rally the Eagles from an 11-point halftime deficit. Brennan's bucket with 14:35 left gave the Eagles their lone second-half lead (33-31), but McCrory answered with seven straight points and returned the advantage to Guilford.
The Quakers held the lead for the rest of the period until Brennan's basket with 2:30 left in regulation tied the score at 51-51. Neither team scored for the rest of the half. Bridgewater's Forster missed the front end of a one-and-one free-throw chance with 36 seconds left that would have given the Eagles the lead.
Bolton made 10 of 14 shots from the floor and finished with a game-high 23 points. Brennan scored all of her 12 points in the second half and added a team-high 11 rebounds for the Eagles. Forster netted 12 points and added three assists and three steals.
Keichline paced four Guilford players in double-figure scoring with 15 points, six boards and two blocks off the bench. She scored eight points in the two extra periods. Sophomore forward Courtney Hill (Kannapolis, NC/North Rowan) notched her team-best third double-double of the year with 10 points and a career- and game-high 13 boards. Freshman guard Jennifer King (Reidsville, NC/Rockingham County) also scored 10 points before fouling out in the first overtime.
Guilford returns to action Tuesday (1/21) at league-rival Roanoke at 7:00 pm. The Eagles host Hollins Tuesday at 7:00 pm.
