Brown University
14-10, 5-6Ivy
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Dartmouth
7-17, 2-9Ivy
Women's Basketball Falls to Dartmouth in Overtime, 92-88
2/24/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Sophomore guard Shayna Mehta led five Bears in double figures with 20 points, but Brown University women's basketball fell to Dartmouth College in overtime, 92-88, on Friday night at the Pizzitola Sports Center.
The Bears (14-10, 5-6 Ivy) sent the game to overtime with six of regulation's last seven points and held an 84-80 lead with 2:59 remaining in the extra session, but the visiting Big Green (7-17, 2-9 ivy) closed the game on a 12-4 run to pull out the win.
Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) eclipsed the 20-point plateau for the fifth time this year and scored in double figures for the 20th time while adding nine rebounds and three assists and hitting 3-of-6 shots from 3-point distance.
Sophomore forward Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec) tallied 19 points and seven rebounds, connecting on 4-of-7 from beyond the arc, while freshman guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) netted 17 points.
Sophomore guard Taylor Will (Arlington Heights, Ill.) posted 15 points, four assists, and three steals, sophomore forward Mary Butler (Bangor, Maine) notched 10 points, six boards, and three assists, and junior guard Megan Reilly (Norwood, N.J.) chipped in seven points and four boards.
Andi Norman led Dartmouth with a game-high 22 points alongside nine rebounds, making 5-of-7 treys. Kate Letkewicz (15 points, 13 rebounds) and Olivia Smith (15 points, 12 rebounds) both logged double-doubles.
The Big Green shot 54.1 percent from the field in the game and made 3-of-3 field goals and 8-of-10 free throws in the overtime period. The Bears played in their first overtime game since Dec. 21, 2014. The two teams split the season series after Brown came away with a 65-62 win in Hanover, N.H., on Feb. 12.
Facing a 76-71 deficit with 3:15 remaining in regulation, the Bears scored six points in the final 1:07 to send the game to overtime. A step-back 3-pointer from Mehta pulled Brown within 76-75 with 35.5 seconds on the clock, and a lefty layup from Gaziano with 12.1 left tied the game at 77-77. Brown made two blocks on the final possession of regulation to extend the contest.
In overtime, Brown took an 81-77 edge with 3:25 to go after baskets from Will and Butler and remained ahead 84-80 with 2:49 left behind a 3-pointer from the top of the key from Steeves. The Big Green then used a 9-1 run to pull ahead 89-85 with 29.1 seconds remaining. Dartmouth made three more free throws to seal the win.
Brown scored the game's first seven points, including a 3-pointer from Gaziano, before a fast break layup from Butler kept the Bears ahead 12-11 with 3:36 to go in the first quarter. After Dartmouth pulled ahead 16-12, a wing 3-pointer from Will helped Brown remain within 20-17 after one frame.
Reilly scored five straight points, including a jumper in the paint and a wing triple, to push the hosts back ahead 24-23 at the 6:24 mark of the second quarter. A baseline jumper from Butler tied the game at 30-30 before seven consecutive points from the Big Green gave the visitors a 37-30 edge with 1:52 to play in the half. Mehta and Will each connected on 3-pointers in the final 1:38 to cut the margin to 40-36 at the intermission.
The two teams traded baskets in the third quarter with a bank shot from Reilly capping an 8-2 run and giving Brown a 51-46 edge with 6:21 to play in the period. A Mehta jumper gave the Bears a 57-55 lead before an 8-0 Dartmouth run put the visitors up 63-57 as they took a 63-59 edge into the fourth.
Gaziano and Steeves both hit 3-pointers in the fourth quarter as Brown remained within 73-71 with 4:23 left in regulation before the Bears closed the gap in the final 67 seconds of the fourth frame.
Prior to the game, as part of its "Think Pink" campaign, Brown honored breast cancer survivors – Joyce Fennell, Kate McGahan, and Cynthia Smith – in conjunction with the Brown University Oncology Research Group (BrUOG).
Next, Brown hosts Harvard tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 25, at 4:00 p.m. in its final home game of the regular season at the Pizzitola Sports Center.
Video of all Brown women's basketball home contests and all Ivy League games, home and away, will be broadcast live on ILDN.TV/BROWN.
Tickets for all Brown women's basketball games can be purchased online, by calling the Brown Athletics Ticket Office at (401) 863-2773, or by walking up to the box office located in the Pizzitola Sports Center, open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
