Box Score The Case Western Reserve University women's basketball team opened play at the Nan Nichols Classic in Wooster, Ohio on Saturday afternoon with a 93-86 overtime win against Alma College.
The Spartans improved to 4-1 overall with the win, while Alma dropped to 0-4 following the setback.
Junior forward Kayla Characklis finished the game with her first double-double of the season, totaling 16 points and collecting a career-high 15 rebounds (tied for the 12th-most in a single game in team history). First-year guard/forward Emily Plachta led all CWRU players with a career-high 21 points and senior guard/forward Isabella Mills added 20 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Junior guard Sarah Mitchell also scored in double figures in the game, finishing with a career-high 15 points.
CWRU led by as many as six points in the opening quarter with a three by Mitchell putting the team in front 16-10 with 3:17 to play in the period. The Scots pulled back within a point before a jumper at the buzzer from first-year guard/forward Lucy Vanderbeck gave the Spartans a 21-18 lead heading into the second period. CWRU remained ahead throughout the second frame, going ahead by 11 points, 40-29, on a layup by Characklis with 55 seconds left in the half, and took a 40-31 lead into the break.
The Spartans took their largest lead of the game, going ahead 50-37 on a Mitchell jumper with 6:04 to play in the third period. However, the Scots closed the gap to just five points, 61-56, by the end of the third, and opened the fourth on a 7-2 run to even the score by the 6:53 mark. Mills followed with a three-pointer to give CWRU the lead back, but Alma responded with five unanswered points to take its first lead of the second half, 68-66. The two teams continued to go back and forth with a pair of free throws by Plachta giving the Spartans a 77-74 lead with 12 seconds left. However, Alma's Morgan Hanchett connected on a three with three seconds left to tie the game and send it into overtime.
Alma scored the first basket of overtime, but CWRU answered with eight unanswered points, taking an 85-79 lead on a free throw by junior forward Preet Gill with 1:57 remaining, and the Spartans were able to hold onto the advantage for the remainder of the game for the win.
CWRU finished the game shooting 41.3% from the floor and 35.0% from three-point range while converting 88.9% (24-of-27) free throws. The Spartans also finished the game with a 47-37 edge in rebounds.
The Spartans will be back in action tomorrow, finishing up play at the Nan Nichols Classic against host Wooster. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:15 p.m.
