Owls Win Holiday Tournament With 68-65 Overtime Thriller

Wednesday, December 30

Boca Raton, FLA.

7:15 PM

Florida Atlantic

8-3

Miami (Oh)

6-5

OT 1

MIAMI

Florida Atlantic

12/30/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Dec. 30, 2015

Final Stats

BOCA RATON, Fla. â€" The Florida Atlantic University women's basketball team wrapped up its non-conference slate with an 8-3 record thanks to a 68-65 overtime victory over Miami University in the championship game of the FAU Holiday Tournament on Wednesday.

The Owls placed Ali Gorrell and Kat Wright on the All-Tournament Team as the duo led FAU with 15 and 10 points, respectively. Melinda Myers also tallied ten points and grabbed five rebounds on the night.

"It was great to be able to come in here and get a win and see them tough it out,: FAU Head Coach Kellie Lewis-Jay said. There were a lot of situations in the fourth quarter where they could have folded, but they stuck with it. We got stops when we needed to and Ali finished down the stretch." After the RedHawks (6-5) scored the first two baskets of the game, five different Owls scored to take a 13-12 lead, which they extended to 18-12 at the end of the first quarter.

FAU would extend the lead to nine on a Wright three-pointer in the final minute of the second before MU hit a jumper in the closing seconds to send the game to intermission 29-22 in FAU's favor.

The RedHawks went on a 9-0 run early in the third to tie the game before the Owls pulled ahead once more. Myers would cap off an 8-0 run with a pair of free throws to put FAU on top 46-38 with 1:14 to play in the third.

Neither team was able to score in the first 3:21 of the fourth before Ra'Kyra Gabriel and Gorrell broke the drought as the Owls built a game-high lead at 55-54 with less than five minutes remaining in regulation.

A 14-2 run by the RedHawks gave Miami its first lead of the second half on a three-pointer with 22 seconds remaining. Gorrell made a pair of free throws with 17 seconds left before UM's Baleigh Reid went 1-for-2 from the line with 11 seconds on the clock to tie the game at 59, sending the contest to overtime.

The RedHawks scored the first basket of overtime at the 3:11 mark before Gorrell answered at the 2:50 mark. A pair of free throws for MU gave the RedHawks another advantage before Gorrell went on a personal 4-0 run to give FAU the final lead of the night. Sophomore Danneal Ford then made three free throws in the final 25 seconds to ice the game for FAU.

The Owls host FIU to open Conference USA play on Sunday, Jan. 3 at 2 p.m. at FAU Arena. For tickets, call 1-866-FAU-OWLS or visit FAUSports.com.