By: by Jason Hanes
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KENNESAW, Ga. - Tamasha Bolden's jumper as time expired in regulation sent the game to overtime, and Angie Smith's basket with 2.7 seconds remaining in overtime sealed the deal as the Kennesaw State women's basketball team defeated Chattanooga, 65-63, in front of a KSU Convocation Center record attendance for women's basketball of 1,144.
With time left for just one play in regulation, the Lady Owls (3-6) inbounded the ball from underneath the Chattanooga basket. After multiple screens were set, Bolden bled out to just outside of the free-throw line on her left. Angie Smith's inbound pass found Bolden standing wide open, and the junior got the roll on the shot as the horn sounded to end regulation, tying the score, 51-51.
KSU would take the opening tip of overtime and score quickly as Chelcey Farrar sank a driving lay-up. Chattanooga (3-8) would fight back, taking the lead at 60-59 after Whitney Hood converted a three-point play. The Lady Mocs could only extend the lead to two, 61-59, after a made free-throw by Meghan Downes.
The Lady Owls would rally to tie the score with just under two minutes to go as Smith collected Ashley Holliday's missed 3-point try, with the junior slashing to the hoop for the tying basket. After Chattanooga missed on the other end, Farrar's lay-up with 57 seconds left in the overtime frame gave KSU a, 63-61, lead.
Hood would score the last of her 32 points on the night from the charity stripe, tying the game, 63-63. With only one second marking the difference between the game clock and shot clock, Smith melted both clocks down to the waning seconds. Finally, the junior drove inside and connected on a 10-foot jumper with 2.7 seconds remaining to give KSU a, 65-63, lead. After a litany of timeouts, Chattanooga got a good look at a game-tying shot, but Kayla Christopher's try at the buzzer would be for naught as the Lady Owls held on for the win.
KSU trailed, 23-18, at halftime, as the Lady Owls struggled offensively but held the Lady Mocs to just 10-of-32 shooting. In the second half, Holliday began to warm up from beyond the 3-point line, connecting from long range on her first three shots to help KSU get back into the contest.
Smith scored a team-high 17 points, while Bolden added 15 and Holliday chipped in 12. Hood was the only scorer in double-digits for Chattanooga.
The Lady Owls will be back in action next Tuesday in Jacksonville, Ala., when they take on Jacksonville State. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CST, with live audio available for free via KSUOwls.com.
