Made my way over to UST's Schoenecker Arena once again on this unseasonably warm beautiful Friday afternoon to take in the much-anticipated NCAA Sweet 16/Elite 8 pod being hosted by UST. The first game on tap would feature a match-up of two teams that have made a name for themselves in the world of DIII women's basketball but I myself haven't had the opportunity to cover - the Texas-Tyler Patriots going up against the second-ranked George Fox Bruins. George Fox was coming into this tournament with an undefeated 29-0 record while the Patriots were sporting an equally impressive 29-1 record. While some had already pegged the Bruins into the Final Four, when you get to this stage you have to play one game at a time and one possession at a time.
Both teams spent the opening minutes of the first half feeling each other out; probing for any slight perceived weakenss they might be able to find. The Patriots got on the board first as junior guard Makenzi May unleashed a "3" from the right top area in a transition opportunity and a rebound and putback by fellow junior forward D'Onna Matthews had Texas-Tyler out in front 5-2 at the 8:25 mark before the Bruins finally found some solid footing. A score in the paint by lanky sophomore post Kaitlin Jamieson at the 8:03 mark and two free throws by senior forward Justine Benner gave George Fox its first lead of the contest at 6-5. The two teams would trade one-point leads over the next two minutes before the Bruins were able to build a slight cushion. A "3" from the left wing area by senior guard Nicole Blizzard at the 5:28 mark and a jumper in the lane by Benner had George Fox up 13-9 but that little cushion didn't last long as an 8-0 push by the Patriots gave them the lead right back. Junior guard Alex Kochner scored in the paint with 3:42 left and a Matthews lay-up with 3:10 left knotted the issue at 13 a piece. With 2:43 left, Matthews struck again on a short shot off the glass that had Texas-Tyler up 15-13. Diminutive 5'3" junior guard Michelle Obach struck next for the Patriots as she snared a steal and streaked the other way for a lay-up with 2:13 left that gave the Patriots a 17-13 advantage before George Fox was able to collect itself and halt the bleeding. Junior reserve guard Kaycee Creech drilled a "3" from the right top area with 1:53 left that cut Texas-Tyler's lead to a scant one point at 17-16 but the Patriots had one last push before the end of the first period. Obach connected with a short jumper with 1:35 left and a Matthews free throw with 1:09 left re-established the four-point edge at 20-16. Texas-Tyler got their biggest lead of the opening period when Matthews grabbed an offensive rebound of her own miss for a putback with :44.6 left for a 22-16 advantage before Bruin senior point guard Sammy Naluai knocked down two free throws with :31.5 left in the opening period trimming the Patriots lead down to four at 22-18, undefeated George Fox knew they had a game on their hands.
One thing that was becoming increasingly clear as this game progressed were the vastly different styles of each time. While the Bruins prefer the half-court game; working the ball on the perimeter and looking for the opening down low first, Texas-Tyler likes an up-tempo, running style and the Patriots athleticism and speed fits that style to a hilt and it gave George Fox more problems than expected. Junior reserve forward Shuntay Raglin scored in the paint as the shot clock was expiring at the 9:28 mark of the second period and a Raglin lay-up at the 8:50 mark gave Texas-Tyler a 26-21 lead before the Bruins once again had to dig in their heels. Two Benner free throws at the 7:59 mark and a Benner lay-up at the 7:08 mark trimmed the deficit to one at 26-25 and a Benner jumper near the free throw line at the 5:17 mark completed this personal 6-0 burst but more importantly had George Fox back out in front 27-26. A Creech "3" from the left corner with 2:53 left had the Bruins up by two at 30-28 but Texas-Tyler simply wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Freshman reserve forward Samantha Odom connected with one lay-up with 2:33 left and junior guard Re'Elle Miller connected with another one that had the issue tied at 32 a piece and a jumper from the top of the key by freshman reserve guard Dia Evans off of an inbounds pass with :52 left helped forge a 34-34 tie. Benner's score in the paint on a pretty give-and-go pass from junior reserve guard Anjenae Torregano with :03 left did allow the Bruins to take a shaky 36-34 lead into the locker room at the half but nothing felt quite right for George Fox Head Coach Michael Meek and his staff and it was apparent that the undefeated Bruins definitely had their work cut out for them the rest of the way. A quick check of the first half box reveals some of the worries that Meek likely had going into the locker room. 3-13 from three-point land for 23.1% and 13-31 for 41.9% from FG range offset the 7-7 from the charity stripe. Texas-Tyler held a slight edge in the rebounding department at 19-17 so the Bruins were going to have to clean some things up going into the second half.
George Fox appeared to come out of the locker room to start the third period with a renewed sense of determination as they extended their small advantage to six points. Two lay-ups in transition by the versatile Benner - one at the 8:43 mark and another one at the 6:19 mark - extended the Bruins lead to 40-34 and Texas-Tyler Head Coach Kendra Hassell; fearful of having her squad get into too big of a hole early on in the second half, called a timeout to talk things over with her team. That stoppage in play paid huge dividends for the Patriots as they battled right back. May drained a "3"from the right top area at the 6:07 mark and a jumper from the free throw line by the athletic Matthews sliced the George Fox lead down to a scant point at 40-39. A "3" from the left top area by sophomore reserve guard Alexus Bertrand with 4:01 left completed this unlikely 8-0 burst for Texas-Tyler that suddenly thrust them back out in front 42-40. An Obach lay-up with 3:24 left kept the Patriots out in front 44-43 but this see-saw battle then took yet another twist. Back-to-back scores by the Bruins Jamieson - one in the paint with 3:02 left and a lay-up with 2:12 left - had George Fox back in front 47-44. That lead didn't last long, however, as an Obach trey from the left top area with 1:58 left knotted the issue at 47 a piece. The two teams would again trade one point leads over the next minute before the Bruins tried to restore a bit of order to this mess before the period ended. Two free throws by the wily and energetic Naluai with :57 left and a lay-up in transition by Benner with :32 left had George Fox up 52-49 but the fact that the Patriots had been able to avoid a potential disaster at the onset of the third period gave a little preview of what was to come before this thing was over and done.
A Naluai lay-up at the 9:48 mark of the fourth period had the Bruins up 54-49 along with a "3" from the right wng by Blizzard at the 7:43 mark made it 57-51 George Fox and once again, the Patriots were potentially in a vice grip in this high stakes, pressure situation. But, just as they had in the third period, Texas-Tyler put a thumb to the nose of looming disaster and clawed their way back. Evans connected with a lay-up at the 7:18 mark and then Obach snared a steal and streaked the other way for a lay-up that drew a foul and sent the Tyler, Texas native to the line for the obligatory freebie that sliced the Bruin cushion to one point at 57-56. George Fox's Blizzard kept trying to keep the Patriots at bay with her scoring as she connected with a lay-up off of an inbounds pass at the 6:44 mark and drained another trey at the 6:09 mark; this one coming from the top of the key that gave the Bruins a four-point 62-58 lead but this Texas-Tyler team simply would not go away. An Obach lay-up at the 5:35 mark and another one by Matthews at the 4:04 mark tied the game at 62. Blizzard's heroics for her Bruins team were not done yet as she unleashed yet another three-point bomb from the right wing area with 3:17 left that had George Fox back up 65-62. But the crazy twists and turns to this one were far from over. A score in the paint by Evans with 2:57 left cut the Bruin lead to one at 65-64 with 2:57 left and missed three-point attempts by Blizzard gave the Patriots the chance that they needed. As George Fox was desperately trying to run the clock out clinging to that one-point lead, Obach came out of nowhere like a thief in the night and snared a steal from the usually-reliable Bruin backcourt and whizzed the other way for a lay-up that suddenly put Texas-Tyler out in front 66-65 with :23 left. Facing the possibility of having their undefeated season come to a sudden and crashing halt, the Bruins Meek called a timeout to set up a play. Bringing the ball carefully upcourt on their next possession, the Bruins worked the ball around the perimeter looking for that open look. Junior guard Kim Frost, quiet from a scoring standpoint all game long, got that look with :11.2 left from behind the arc in the right wing area and calmly drained a "3" that gave George Fox a 68-66 lead and put the Bruins in a position to finally close this one out once and for all. But the Patriots Hassell promptly called a timeout to try and draw something up for her squad. On the ensuing Texas-Tyler possession, the Patriots looked to work the ball inside and Matthews; with just :02.7 left, wiggled inside for a game-tying score that sent this incredible game into overtime tied at 68 a piece.
Conventional wisdom held that the undefeated Bruins would somehow find a way to win this one in the extra five minute session and two Blizzard free throws with 4:20 left and a lay-up by Benner off of an inbounds pass with 2:43 left that gave George Fox a 72-70 advantage did nothing to dispel that notion. But this Patriot team; with seemingly more lives than a cat, suddenly and unexpectedly grabbed control of this game for good. Kochner, who had been relatively quiet since the early moments of the game, came alive when her team needed her the most. A pretty move and lay-up forged a 70-70 deadlock and another lay-up with 2:29 left knotted the issue again at 72 a piece. Jamieson couldn't connect on a tough lay-up for the Bruins with 2:06 left and on the defensive rebound, Texas-Tyler immediately got into transition that gave Obach a chance to connect on a short jumper that put the Patriots up 74-72 with 2:00 left. Still no need to panic from a George Fox standpoint and on the Bruins next possession, they again patiently worked the ball around the perimeter and Blizzard got a look with 1:30 left but was unable to knock the shot down. Texas-Tyler got the rebound and back downcourt they went. Kochner missed a lay-up with 1:20 left but Matthews was there for the offensive rebound. Kochner eventually got free in the right corner and with 1:03 left she drilled a back-breaking trey for a 77-72 Patriot lead and now George Fox was truly in desperation mode. A Benner score in the paint with :51 left got the Bruins back to within a single possession trailing 77-74 but now they needed to foul and get stops as well. Kochner was sent to the line with :45.1 left where she was able to knock down one free throw for a 78-74 Texas-Tyler lead. The Bruins still had a slim chance when Blizzard got sent to the line with :38 left but she was unable to knock down the free throw opportunity. With :32.2 left, Obach was sent to the line where she converted on the front end of a "one-and-one" situation for a 79-74 Patriot lead. On the ensuing George Fox possession, Blizzard finally was able to connect with a much-needed trey from the left corner with :23 left but again, the Bruins needed to foul and hope that the Patriots might miss the freebies. Miller was immediately fouled on the ensuing Texas-Tyler possession with :21.1 left but with everything on the line, the Waco, Texas native cooly dropped the two free throw attempts for an 81-77 Patriot lead. On the ensuing Bruin possession, Blizzard uncorked a contested three-point attempt that missed its mark with :12 left and Texas-Tyler's Matthews was there for the defensive rebound and was immediately fouled. Though Matthews was unable to convert on the ensuing free throw attempt, Naluai was unable to convert on a lay-up attempt and the buzzer finally brought a fabulous season for the Bruins to an end.
A disappointed but proud Meek could only praise his seniors for the great season that the Bruins had. Not being familiar with all that George Fox had done this season, I asked Meek if being in such a tight contest so late in regulation might have had an adverse effect on his squad. But Meek seemed to dismiss that notion noting that his team had been in several situations during the season where they had been down at the half; sometimes by double digits and managed to battle their way back. No doubt that the Bruins will miss the trio of seniors of Naluai, Blizzard and Benner who have all had great careers and it's no surprise that Benner and Blizzard led the way with 26 and 19 points, respectively. Texas-Tyler's Hassell talked about her squad fighting back from adversity time and time again during the season and the way they were able to hold together against the second-ranked team in the country in a high-stakes situation was truly remarkable. Obach's steal and lay-up late in regulation saved this game for the Patriots and Kochner's heroics in overtime were just as impressive as she scored eight of her ten total points in the deciding overtime period. Matthews' 23 points led the way for the Patriots in this contest while Obach was right behind with her 19 points. Texas-Tyler overcame the 16 total turnovers with their decided 48-39 advantage on the boards. Even more amazing was that the Patriots had a 44-34 advantage with points in the paint against a very solid and experienced George Fox team that knows how to get the job done down low. But now the Patriots find themselves one step away from a trip to the Final Four.
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