AUSTIN, Texas – The University of St. Thomas women's basketball team authored arguably its best win of the season Saturday, overcoming Huston-Tillotson University, 77-72, in overtime.
The Celts (8-9, 5-5 Red River Athletic Conference) snapped a three-game skid to beat a team that was receiving votes in the NAIA Top 25 poll. Huston-Tillotson fell to 11-6, 6-4. The Celts are in fifth place in the RRAC, a game behind the Rams.
It was the second overtime victory of the season for the Celts. It was also the second time one of the two schools won with 77 points in the season series. The Rams won the first meeting, 77-75, in Houston.
St. Thomas shot 43 percent from the field, going 26 of 60. Huston-Tillotson shot 34 percent, going 25 of 74.
UST trailed 18-12 after the first quarter, but outscored Huston-Tillotson, 18-12, in the second to tie the game at 30 at the half. UST's Sheridan Hopkins (JR/Galveston, TX) scored nine points in the second quarter, with six of those points scored in the last 2 minutes of the quarter.
After the Rams took a seven-point lead into the fourth quarter. The Rams got out to a 10 point lead before the Celts responded.
The final minute of the regular time played out as follows. Aerial Starks (FR/Houston, TX) scored 2 points on a post up move with 55 seconds left in regular time, the Celts defense then created a jump ball situation, handing the ball back to the Celts with a chance to tie the game up with 35 seconds left in the game. An offensive foul was called and gave the ball back to the Rams. With time low the Celts needed to foul twice before being able to put the Rams to the freethrow line. Kryshona Carter stepped up the the free throw line with 29 secs remaining in regular time to only make one shot giving the Rams a 3 point advantage. The Celts moved the ball quickly up the floor to find Zariah McInnis (SO/Richmond, TX) open on the right wing where she made the 3 point shot to tie the game with 11 seconds left. A touch foul at 9 seconds gave the Rams two more attempts at the freethrow line where they sunk both and put them up by two points. St. Thomas advanced the ball to thier bench to throw the ball in, with Aerial Starks taking a drive to the basket and getting fouled with now only 5 second left on the clock. Aerial hit both freethrows to tie the game up again. The Rams advanced their throw in to in front of their bbench where Sheridan Hopkins defended the inbounds play and snatched the pass out of the air with a chance to win the game. She lost her footing and could not get a good shot up but that play sent the game into overtime.
The Celts outscored the Rams, 17-10, in the final period to send the game into overtime. St. Thomas shot 6 of 11 from the floor in the fourth, while the Rams were held to 3 of 13 shooting in the fourth quarter.
The Celts carried that momentum over into the extra period, outscoring the Rams, 14-9, to seal the victory.
Aerial Starks scored 27 points on 8 of 17 shooting, and had six rebounds and three assists. She was 11-for-14 from the free throw line. Hopkins had her ninth consecutive double-double scoring 24 points and pulling down 11 rebounds in 44 minutes. She went 10 of 18 from the floor. Zariah McInnis had 12 points, eight boards and two steals. Sydney Hayes (JR/Houston, TX) had five of UST's 15 assists.
The Celts shot 23 of 31 from the free throw line. Huston-Tillotson was 14 of 18 from the stripe.
St. Thomas improved to 5-4 on the road this season.
The Celts will host No. 11 Our Lady of the Lake at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
