Dec. 18, 2011

Box Score

QUEENS, N.Y. - Jelena Vucinic and Kiara Young each scored a career-high 21 points and Louisiana Tech overcame a 16-point second half deficit to defeat Prairie View A&M 89-83 in triple overtime Sunday afternoon at Carnesecca Arena on the campus of St. John's University.

After an Asha Hampton-Finch jumper at the 7:05 mark of the second half, Prairie View led LA Tech 57-41. However, behind a combined 13 points from Vucinic and Young, the Lady Techsters closed regulation with a 21-5 run as Jasmine Bendolph's three-pointer with 49 seconds to play sent the game into overtime. Tech hit eight of its final nine shots in regulation.

Both teams exchanged leads in the first overtime period - a free throw by Young at the 2:26 mark gave Tech its first lead since 29-27 at the 4:05 mark of the first half - as Prairie View held a 72-69 advantage with just under a minute to play. Whitney Jones buried a three-pointer from the left wing to tie the game at 72 and then following two free throws by PVAM, Young hit a short jumper in the lane with 26 second remaining to send the game into the second extra period.

Tech quickly built a modest 80-77 lead on a Tavasha Anderson layup with 2:06 to play in overtime No. 2, but a free throw cut it to two and then Kiara Etienne hit a jumper with 59 seconds to play to tie the game at 80-80. Tech had opportunities to win it but four missed free throws in the final minute by Whitney Frazier and Anderson and an off-balanced miss by Bendolph with two seconds remaining sent the contest into the third overtime.

Bendolph scored four points during an 8-0 run by LA Tech in the third overtime as the Lady Techsters pulled away for the victory. Tech is now 19-13 all-time in overtime games, including a 2-0 mark in triple overtime contests.

The game also marked the third largest come-from-behind victory in Lady Techster history, trailing only Old Dominion (-21 in 1989-90) and Iowa (-19 in 2005-06).

Vucinic, making her first collegiate start, hit 7-of-12 field goals, 3-of-8 three-pointers and 4-of-5 free throws while playing 51 minutes. The sophomore entered the game having played only 62 minutes all season and having scored only 11 points.

Frazier added 12 points and four assists, while Bendolph scored 11 points, dished out eight assists, recorded four steals and grabbed three rebounds. Shantale Bramble-Donaldson added 11 points and nine rebounds before fouling out.

Bendolph earned all-tournament team honors.

For the game, Tech shot 53 percent (36-68) from the field, but only 5-of-17 from the three-point line and a mere 12-of-27 from the free throw line.

Prairie View shot 41 percent (33-81) from the field and outrebounded Tech 55-40. Etienne led the Panthers with 24 points while Larissa Scott added 15 points and 19 rebounds.

Tech returns to action Wednesday at 2 p.m. when it hosts Tennessee Tech at the Thomas Assembly Center.