STEPHENVILLE – It took 50 minutes of basketball, but after 22 lead changes and 19 ties, California Baptist won the double overtime classic at Wisdom Gym over Tarleton 89-84.
The Texans (7-17, 1-12 WAC) nearly snapped their season-long losing streak, with multiple chances to win the game, and coming up with multiple defensive stops to preserve it. The Lancers (13-11, 9-4 WAC) made 8-of-10 free throws in the second overtime period, plus used a late Trinity San Antonio three-pointer to leave Stephenville with the win on Saturday afternoon.
This was Tarleton’s sixth double overtime game in program history, and first since Feb. 2, 2017, vs. Eastern New Mexico. The Texans are now 2-4 in double overtime games all-time, last winning in 2011.
Several Texans had big performances to give fans a show on Play4Kay day, where Tarleton wore pink accessories, hosted a silent auction and gave out free pink wristbands to show support and to raise money for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
Teresa Da Silva achieved her sixth 20+ point game of the season, playing 49 of a possible 50 minutes, recording 24 points, five rebounds and four steals.
Nyajah Mitchels scored a career-high 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting, adding two rebounds in 20 minutes. Tyler Jackson played 48 minutes, going for 12 points, six rebounds and three assists. Jenna Dick added 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-5 from distance, three rebounds and four assists.
Mayra Caicedo provided one of the most unusual stat lines ever. She played 49 minutes and just missed a non-point double-double, dishing a season-high 11 assists and securing a season-high nine rebounds, adding six points. She shot just 1-of-14 from the field though to go with nine turnovers.
This game was as close as it could get, beginning that way with neither team leading by more than a possession in the first quarter. Da Silva nailed a three with 37 seconds left that CBU’s Kinsley Barrington answered at the first quarter buzzer to end the frame knotted at 12-12.
It turned into three straight Tarleton possessions with three-pointers as they opened the second with back-to-back longballs. They began the quarter on an 8-0 run for their largest lead of the game, 20-12. CBU answered with six straight, then used another six straight a little while later to tie the game back at 26-26. Tarleton took a 30-28 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The largest lead for both teams in the third quarter was four points, with the teams going back-and-forth. Tarleton made 7-of-9 (.779) in the quarter to lead 50-47 entering the fourth.
In the final period of regulation, neither team led by more than one possession once again. In fact, neither team led by more than two points in the final nine minutes. Mitchels made a jumper with 2:59 left to give Tarleton a two-point lead, 65-63. Those were Tarleton’s final points of the frame. San Antonio made a layup with 24 seconds left to tie it at 65-65, giving Tarleton the chance at the last shot. However, the Texans turned it over with five seconds left on an offensive foul. On the other end of the court, Tarleton smothered CBU and forced a tough turnaround jumper that fell well short. So, Tarleton took their opponent to overtime for the third time this season.
In overtime, CBU drew first blood with a bucket. Mitchels answered on a putback layup to tie it at 67-67. On Tarleton’s next possession, Dick buried a three to put Tarleton ahead by that much. The Lancers scored consecutive layups to take back the lead, which Jackson recaptured with two free throws at the 1:15 mark. With eight seconds left, CBU’s Brittany Klaman made a go-ahead layup, putting all of the pressure on the Texans. Head coach Misty Wilson drew up a backdoor lob play that provided a good look, but the shot hit the front rim and Tarleton was forced to foul. CBU split their free throws. Da Silva was fouled shooting a three-pointer with two seconds left and had the chance to win it for the purple and white. Down two, she calmly made the first pair to tie the game at 74-74, but the third went off iron and the game moved to double overtime.
The Lancers scored the first four points over the first minute in 2OT. Jackson answered with a layup, then Dick made a three to give Tarleton back the lead, 79-78. CBU then made four free throws to go up three, a lead that was erased in one shot by Da Silva with 1:47 left. CBU made two more free throws, then San Antonio made a deep shot to put CBU up five with 23 seconds left, the Lancers’ largest lead of the game coming in the 50th minute. Da Silva made a layup with 20 seconds to go to get Tarleton back within three, but Tarleton wouldn’t connect again, losing by five.
Tarleton outshot CBU 28-of-67 (.418) to 30-of-76 (.395), including from three-point range, 10-of-24 (.417) to 7-of-30 (.233). The Lancers outscored the Texans in the paint 44-26 and had 16 points off of 22 Tarleton turnovers to four points scored by the Texans off of CBU’s 13 turnovers.
California Baptist’s Grace Schmidt had a game-high 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting, to go with eight rebounds. San Antonio tallied 23 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals. Klaman (14 points, seven rebounds, five assists) and Barrington (12 points, four rebounds) also found double-digit scoring, while Lesila Finau pulled down 10 rebounds, adding eight points and three assists.
Tarleton has lost eight straight games, their longest losing streak since 2002-03.
The Texans will play their final road games of the season over the next week-and-a-half, beginning a three-game road trip at Abilene Christian on Thursday at 6 p.m. CT at Moody Coliseum.
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