HOUSTON, Texas – Sydney Hayes (JR/Houston, TX) hit two big threes in overtime as the University of St. Thomas women's basketball team beat Goshen College, 78-68, in the Celts Classic Saturday at the Jerabeck Activity & Athletic Center
Hayes broke a tie midway through the overtime period, burying a triple from the corner to put the Celts (4-6) ahead. She canned another three from the other corner a little over a minute later to make it a two-possession game, and UST held off the Maple Leafs.
The Celts were 27 of 74 from the floor. The Maple Leafs went 22 of 58. Goshen outrebounded St. Thomas, 52-32.
St. Thomas led 20-18 after the first quarter, but Goshen (7-10) used a 10-0 run to open the second to sprint to an eight-point lead. Alexya Castillo (FR/Cypress, TX) hit her second triple of the half to pull the Celts within seven. The Maple Leafs extended their lead out to 12, but Sheridan Hopkins (JR/Galveston, TX) knocked down a jumper and sank a free throw to make it a five-point game at halftime.
UST shot 12 of 38 from the floor in the first half. The Celts were 4 of 15 from long range. Goshen was 13 of 27 from the field and 5 of 11 from three-point range.
The Celts closed the gap to 37-34 a minute into the second half when Zariah McInnis (SO/Richmond, TX) hit a field goal. Hopkins buried a three from the corner as the Celts drew within 42-40 midway through the third quarter. Keyaira Murff hit a turnaround jumper in the paint as the Maple Leafs climbed back ahead, 50-40.
The Maple Leafs went ahead by 14 before Bresha Orange (SR/Longview, TX) buried a three. Orange scored on a runout, Hopkins scored in transition on a feed from Yazmine Kellough (FR/Oak Ridge), and Castillo hit a layup to bring UST within five with 2:47 to play.
Orange hit a three from the corner as St. Thomas trimmed the deficit to 62-58. Castillo drained a triple to make it a two-point game with just over a minute to play, and Hayes knocked down a baseline jumper to tie it at 63-63.
The Celts outscored the Maple Leafs, 19-9, in the fourth quarter.
Orange hit a three to put St. Thomas ahead 67-66 at the 2:56 mark in overtime before the Maple Leafs tied it. Then Hayes hit the two big threes to put it away.
Hopkins finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and three steals. Hayes had 16 points and seven assists. Orange had 14 points and four steals. Castillo had 13 points, going 3-for-6 from the three-point line.
The Celts were 12 of 30 from long distance. The Maple Leafs were 8 of 21.
St. Thomas will return to Red River Athletic Conference play to host Jarvis Christian at 5:30 p.m. Friday.
