The Bucs earned an overtime victory over SoCon opponent, the Western Carolina Catamounts, over the weekend.
The Bucs were rallying off a two-game win streak after winning against UNCG on Thursday, 85-76. This marks the second time this week the Bucs have played at home.
The first quarter came with back and forth action with the Bucs holding the lead for the majority. The Bucs finished that quarter with a ten-point lead at 23-13.
Western Carolina started to gain momentum in the opening minutes of the second quarter. The Bucs held the lead on the Catamounts by 10 to six points. The Bucs remained consistent, by holding the lead the entire quarter, ending the first half ahead 44-35.
After the half, the Catamounts kept closing in on the Bucs in the third quarter, pursuing the score at 46-41. The Bucs still carried the lead but the Catamounts finished strong in the third, holding the Bucs to only 10 points.
Western Carolina fought the Bucs in the final quarter, trying to recapture the lead. The Bucs controlled the game until the final minutes when the Catamounts tied it at 66.
Western Carolina snatched the lead at 68-66 for a minute until a jump shot from red-shirt sophomore Micah Scheetz (Knoxville, Tennessee) tied it back up at 68.
The Catamounts scored with three seconds left to put the score up by two. The Bucs took a timeout and were able to get fouled. With one second on the clock, sophomore Erica Hayes-Overton (Nashville, Tennessee) sunk in two free throws to send the game into overtime.
Overtime play saw the Catamounts come out holding the lead for the opening minutes.
The Bucs tied the game back up at 76 at the three-minute mark and took control of the rest of the game with a Haynes-Overton 3-pointer.
The Bucs finished with nine free throws to close out the game by senior Sadasia Tipps (Nashville, Tennessee) with one, Haynes-Overton with four, Scheetz and freshman Kaia Upton (Nashville, Tennessee) with two each.
Haynes-Overton led in points with 31 along with eight rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. Tipps led in blocks with three.
“My goal for the season is to be a good leader,” said Tipps of her last season with the team.
The Bucs record stands at 6-17 with a 4-3 record in SoCon play.
The Bucs host their third straight home game on Saturday, Feb. 9.
