Flash Points

• This is the first OT game for the Red Flash since the 2015 season
• It was the first 2OT game since the 2014 NEC Quarterfinals
• SFU placed five players in double figures led by Kovatch's 26
• The Red Flash were down by 29 with five minutes left in the third

 
PORTLAND, OR- Saint Francis erased a 29-point Portland lead and outlasted the Pilots in double overtime in an improbable 106-101 victory on Wednesday afternoon.
 
The Red Flash were down 66-37 with just under five minutes remaining in the third quarter. SFU forced 11 fourth-quarter turnovers and 37 in the game to spark the comeback. A Caitlyn Kroll (Bridgeport, Ohio/Bridgeport) put back at the buzzer forced overtime and a 7-0 run at the start of the second overtime proved to be the difference.
 
 
FIRST QUARTER RECAP

• After an early jumper by Maya Wynn (Reisterstown, Md./McDonogh), the Pilots reeled off seven-straight points to force a timeout
• Jessica Kovatch (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) would hit a pair of threes to get SFU within six at 14-8, but the Red Flash would miss their next 11 shots
• Portland would lead by as many as 14 in the quarter before a pair of Kovatch free throws and a feed to a driving Zezza ended the frame
• Portland would lead 25-13 at the end of the first quarter

 
SECOND QUARTER RECAP

• A steal from Leah Morrow (Columbus, Ohio/Columbus Africentric) and a jumper by Kovatch got SFU with 10 at the start of the quarter
• The Red Flash would miss their next seven shots as Portland ripped off an 8-0 run
• SFU's offensive rebounding kept possessions alive and a Zezza three came on the third shot of the possession
• After the three, Portland continued to shoot well, hitting on their next four of five to open up a 20-point lead on the back of another run
• All told the Pilots outscored SFU 20-7 over a five-minute stretch to lead by as many as 24
• Portland shot 55 percent in the half and 60 percent from three and led 53-28 at the half

 
THIRD QUARTER RECAP

• A pair of threes by Kovatch tried to jumpstart the Red Flash offense
• Portland answered with six-straight points of their own to end the SFU run
• A Leah Morrow (Columbus, Ohio/Columbus Africentric) three started a 7-0 SFU that cut the lead to 20 but Portland answered with six straight of their own
• A three by Zezza and a steal and a deep three by Kroll beat the buzzer and SFU closed the quarter on a 10-0 run
• Portland led 71-54 after three

 
FOURTH QUARTER RECAP

• The Red Flash traded baskets with the Pilots with the Red Flash unable to get closer than 13
• A Harrison three was followed by a Harrison steal and score to cut the lead to nine with just under 4 to go
• The Red Flash forced four turnovers on the next six possessions to carve further into the lead
• A Kroll lay-up was followed by Kroll splitting a pair at the line to make it a one-possession game
• A Kovatch steal gave SFU the ball with 10 second left down two, Kroll put back a Kovatch three at the buzzer which after review forced the OT

 
OVERTIME RECAP

• The teams traded baskets with the game tied at 87
• Harrison split a pair of free throws to give Saint Francis its first lead all game at 88-87
• After a Portland score, Zezza then split a pair at the line to re-tie the game
• Portland re-took the lead on a give-and-go and Zezza had a three rim out to keep it a two-score game
• After the Pilots missed two free throws, Morrow went coast-to-coast to tie the game at 91
• Out of the Portland timeout, a foul was charged to Ace Harrison (Baltimore, MD/Digital Harbor (Maryland)) and an unsportsmanlike foul was charged against Portland, each team split a pair of free throws to re-tie the game at 92, but SFU got the ball after the foul shots
• SFU couldn't get a shot off and we went to a second OT tied at 92

 
SECOND OT RECAP

• Leah Morrow (Columbus, Ohio/Columbus Africentric) with a pair of lay-ups and a Harrison three jump started a 7-0 run to start the second OT
• Portland responded with four-straight points to cut the lead to 99-96
• A Harrison drive stopped the run and put SFU over the century mark
• Zezza cleaned up a Wynn missed three to put SFU back up five with under 30 seconds to go
• Portland drained a three to make it a 103-101 game
• Wynn was put at the line and sank a pair to put SFU up 105-101 with 11 seconds left
• Portland would come up empty on a pair of late threes and Morrow capped the scoring with a late free throw to cap the comeback

 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• This was the first OT game for the Red Flash since the 2015 season and the second 2OT game since the 2014 campaign
• The 106 points are the most scored by SFU in the regular-season since going for 110 in a win at FDU in January of 2014 and the most overall since the 2OT game vs Sacred Heart in the 2014 NEC Quarterfinals
• The Red Flash forced 37 turnovers leading to 42 Red Flash points
• Ace Harrison (Baltimore, MD/Digital Harbor (Maryland)) led the team with 12 rebounds and had a double double with 18 points
• The 23 steals tied the most ever for a single-game, matching the total against Mount Saint Mary's in March of 2015.
• The 29-point comeback is the second-largest in NCAA women's basketball history, trailing only Texas State's 32-point comeback win over Texas-San Antonio in 2006 

 
LOOKING AHEAD
The Red Flash turn right around and catch a flight to Boise. SFU and Boise State tip tomorrow night at 5:30 Mountain and 7:30 Eastern.