WINTER PARK, Fla. (November 30, 2024) – The Rollins women's basketball team overcame a 12-point halftime deficit to defeat visiting Northwood (Mich.) on Saturday, 77-72 in overtime. The Tars are now 4-4 on the season, while the Timberwolves drop to 1-5.
Ajalon Gillard and
Emily McIntosh led the Tars with 15 points each, while
Kaitlyn Sanders chipped in with 14 points and a game-high four steals.
Aaliyah Irizarry-Perez led all players with 18 rebounds and four assists.
Rollins outscored Northwood 20-8 in points off turnovers, despite committing one more turnover than the Timberwolves (18-17). The Tars also dominated in bench scoring, 26-10, and tallied 10 second-chance points against Northwood's four.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
First Quarter
- Northwood scored on its first possession of the game, but the Tars quickly recovered to take a 5-4 lead on a Gillard three with 5:42 to go in the first quarter.
- The lead bounced back and forth a few more times, with Northwood taking a 15-11 lead in the final seconds of the period.
Second Quarter
- The visitors scored seven straight points in the early part of the second quarter to extend their lead to 22-13.
- Northwood also scored the final four points of the period to take a 39-27 lead into the locker room.
Third Quarter
- Rollins found the scoring touch in the third quarter, tallying as many points in the quarter as it did in the entire first half (27).
- A tripe from Faith Newton sparked a 10-0 run in 2:24, pulling the Tars to within a point (43-42) with 6:26 on the clock.
- A McIntosh three tied it at 45 less than a minute later, and on the next possession she hit another triple to push Rollins ahead, 48-45.
- The two sides traded the lead a few times in the latter stages of the period, with the Timberwolves edging in front, 55-54, in the final minute.
Fourth Quarter
- Anna Kimball scored the first four points of the fourth quarter to give the Blue and Gold a 58-55 lead, while Gillard made a layup with 6:05 to go that made it 60-55.
- Northwood scored the next six points to take a one-point lead, by a Sanders layup with 2:53 to go put Rollins in front, 62-61.
- A three for the Timberwolves gave them a 64-62 lead, but Sanders answered quickly with two free throws to knot it up at 64.
- NU made a layup with 2:04 left to go up 66-64, a lead that held until the final minute when Gillard connected on a pair of free throws to tie the game at 66 with 46 seconds to go.
- Each team had one final possession in regulation, but neither could score, sending the game to overtime.
Overtime
- Rollins scored first in the overtime period on a free throw from Irizarry-Perez.
- Just over a minute later, Gillard hit a huge three to make it 70-66 with 2:55 left.
- After Northwood answered with a three, Sanders drove for a layup to give Rollins a 72-69 edge.
- Claire Erickson hit a jumper with 50 seconds left and made a free throw with 40 seconds left, helping extend the lead to 75-70.
- The Timberwolves got a bucket on their next possession, but Erickson drilled two clutch free throws with 14 seconds left to make it 77-72.
- Rollins kept Northwood from scoring in the closing seconds, forcing two missed shots and a turnover to seal the victory.
UP NEXT:
The Tars will return to action on Tuesday, December 3, when they host Warner at 5:30 p.m.
Fans can follow the Tars all season long at RollinsSports.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest #TARnation news by following Rollins Sports on
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