Fulton, MO 2/11/2023- The Westminster College women's basketball team welcomed the Spalding University Golden Eagles to Historic Gym on Saturday for the Senior Day game. Before the game started Westminster honored the career of Shelby Kurtz (Camdenton, MO/ Camdenton) who was playing in her final home Saturday game. It was a roller coaster of a game with the Blue Jays leading by 10 at one point then the Golden Eagles found them up 6 points. There were 10 ties and 8 lead changes total and they would need overtime to decide a winner.
Spalding jumped out to a 5-point lead to start the overtime period and that would propel them to victory winning the game 80-77 and playing the role of spoiler. The Blue Jays snap their four-game winning streak and fall to 14-9 on the season. They are now 8-4 in the SLIAC and currently sit in third place with two games remaining before the conference tournament. The Golden Eagles improve to 6-17 on the season and 3-9 in the conference. They are in a battle for the sixth and final spot in the tournament with Eureka College.
It was not an ideal start of the game for the Blue Jays, finding themselves down 7-2 in the opening minutes of the first quarter. Annette Ramirez (Sarcoxie, MO/ Sarcoxie) would score seven straight points for Westminster, four free throws, and a three-pointer. Caragan Lockard (Eolia, MO / Clopton) would tie the game up 9-9 after making two free throws. They would battle back and forth for the rest of the quarter, trading the lead a few times. Spalding scored in the final twenty seconds of the quarter and end the quarter trailing 18-17.
The Golden Eagles would score a layup to take the lead back in their opening possession of the second quarter. Olivia Hixson (Neosho, MO / Neosho) nailed a three to give the lead back to Westminster. After Spalding tied the game 21-21, the Jays would go on a run to take a 27-21 lead with 5:54 remaining in the half. The Jays ended the half on a 4-0 run to take a 38-32 lead at the intermission.
Spalding started the third quarter going on an 8-2 run and tying things up a 40-40. The Blue Jays responded and got back up to a 51-45 lead. They would extend their lead to 10 points with 1:19 left in the third and appeared to be on their way to a fifth straight victory, heading into the fourth quarter with a 58-49 lead.
Westminster would maintain that lead for the first five minutes of the fourth quarter. Spalding would make back-to-back threes and was right back in the game 66-63 with 4:34 left to play. They would make another three to tie the game 66-66. Every time the Blue Jays would take the lead the Golden Eagles would have an answer. Spalding got to the free throw line with .47 seconds left and a chance to take a two-point lead. They would make one and miss one. On the next possession, the Blue Jays would get fouled and go to the line with a chance to take a one-point lead. They would make one and miss one. Spalding would call a timeout to advance the ball up to half-court. The Blue Jays would get a steal with thirty seconds left and a chance to have the game's final shot. Unfortunately, they would turn the ball back over giving Spalding a chance to win it. They would get a shot off with 8 seconds left but couldn't get it to fall. The Blue Jays got the rebound and called timeout. They would be unable to get a shot off and the game headed to overtime tied 69-69.
Spalding won the tip to start overtime and would go up 74-69 after scoring on back-to-back possessions. Ramirez would hit a three to put the Jays down three points 76-73 with 1:52 left. Kurtz got to the free throw line and knocked down two free throws to put Westminster down just one point, 76-75. She would get to the line again and tie it up 77-77. Unfortunately, the Blue Jays would commit a foul in the final thirteen seconds, sending the Golden Eagles to the line. They would make both free throws to go up 79-77. The Blue Jays had shot to tie it but it was not meant to be. Westminster would foul on the rebound, sending the Golden Eagles to the line again. Spalding would win the game 80-77.
Ramirez led the Blue Jays scoring 18 points and hauling in 5 rebounds, she would go 5-6 from the line. Lockard scored 11 points off the bench and was 5-5 from the free-throw line. The Blue Jays would go 22-29 from the charity stripe but would shoot 35% from the field.
The Blue Jays will be back in action on Wednesday, February 15th when they take on Fontbonne University in the final home game of the season. That game will tip off at 5:30 PM.
