The Fredonia women's basketball team would be hard pressed to top Friday's closing-seconds victory over Grove City, but they did their best. On Saturday, the ladies claimed the Penn State Behrend Tip-Off Tournament title with a 70-68 overtime victory vs. Hiram.
Freshman Jenna Einink (Mayville/Chautauqua Lake) turned in her first collegiate double-double coming off the bench for 11 points and 12 rebounds. For good measure, she added five blocks and three assists en route to claiming the Tournament MVP. The previous night, she connected for a pair of free throws in the closing seconds to seal the win.
Sabrina Macaulay (Newark, N.Y./Newark) was also named All Tournament. She had 15 points and seven rebounds. Alexis Cheatham (Lockport/Lockport) added 16 points -- including five-of-nine shooting from beyond the arc -- off the bench. A fourth Blue Devil scoring in double digits, Jamie Curry (Ransomville/Wilson), added 10 points, five rebounds and five steals.
After playing to a 12-all tie through the first quarter, Fredonia stalled and would find themselves down 33-20 at the half after allowing the Terriers to close out the frame on a 14-3 run.
The Devils came out of the break on fire offensively, cutting the lead to one point at the 4:07 mark, 41-40, following a 20-7 run. Macaulay provided seven points and Curry five over that span. The teams would finish the third quarter knotted at 49-all.
Late in the fourth, the Devils found themselves trailing 65-62. Cheatham would nail a three pointer with 1:14 left to tie the game. Neither team would convert on their final three possessions to send the game into overtime.
Down one, 68-67 with 1:45 left in the overtime, Macaulay converted a layup that would prove the game winner. Cheatham added a free throw with six seconds on the clock before Hiram's last second attempt missed.
Fredonia shot 40 percent from the field, including seven of 22 (32 percent) from three-point land. They hit nine of 17 free throws. Hiram was 35 percent from the field and four of 18 (22 percent) from beyond the arc, while shooting 16 of 23 from the charity stripe.
The Terriers (3-1) were led by Mercedes Jones who had 20 points and 17 rebounds.
The Devils (2-0) play host to Nazareth on Tuesday. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. in Steele Hall.
