MITCHELL, S.D. – The No. 13 Dakota Wesleyan University women's basketball team looked poised to push Briar Cliff University to overtime in a tough Great Plains Athletic Conference matchup Wednesday at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D., but the No. 15 Chargers found a miracle at the buzzer to leave DWU heartbroken.
With 0.8 seconds left on the clock and the game tied at 65, BCU's McKenzie Shipley inbounded the ball from the side and found Kaylee Blake alone under the basket. Blake hit an uncontested layup to send the Chargers to the 67-65 win. DWU has lost four straight GPAC games and falls to 15-5 overall and 8-5 in the GPAC.
After junior forward Kristin Sabers (Mitchell, S.D.) hit a 3-pointer to open the fourth quarter, DWU led by seven points, but the momentum quickly shifted. BCU went on an 11-3 run, taking the lead with 5:36 to play. Both teams struggled to score down the stretch, but sophomore forward Amber Bray (Anoka, Minn.) tied the game for DWU at 65 on a free throw with less than a minute to play.
The Tigers had a chance to take the lead before Blake's game-winner, but a jump ball gave BCU a possession with 2.5 seconds to play. With two fouls to give, DWU used one after the initial inbounds play to cut the clock to 0.8. The Tigers never had a chance to foul Blake as the pass went over the DWU defense to the wide-open Charger.
DWU was led by Amber Bray with 15 points and seven rebounds, while junior forward Erica Herrold added 13 points and five rebounds. Sophomore forward Ashley Bray (Anoka, Minn.) chipped in with 10 points and five boards for DWU, which shot 22-of-57 from the field, 9-of-30 from deep and 12-of-16 from the line. The Tigers won the rebounding battle 31-27, while finishing with 16 assists and 16 turnovers.
Blake led all scorers with 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting, while Shipley added 14 points and three 3-pointers for BCU. The Chargers shot 24-of-53 from the field, 7-of-13 from 3-point range and 12-of-20 from the free-throw line.
The Tigers look to break out in the GPAC against Midland University at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Corn Palace.
