GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — Caitlyn Ross tied the South Atlantic Conference single-game scoring record with 47 points, including 14 in overtime, as UVA Wise rallied twice before claiming a 99-95 double-overtime victory over Tusculum University in SAC women’s basketball Wednesday evening at Pioneer Arena.
Ross established a program record for scoring and tied the SAC single-game mark set by Ace Easter of Anderson against Mars Hill on Jan. 23, 2019. Her 47 points were also the most in Division II this season. She went 15-for-34 from the field, including 8-for-15 from three-point range, and was 9-for-9 from the foul line while playing all 50 minutes.
The Cavaliers (12-15, 8-11 SAC) trailed by seven points with 1:30 left in regulation and by six points with 2:30 left in the first overtime, but Ross scored the final eight points of the fourth quarter to force overtime and five of the Cavaliers’ last nine points in the first overtime. Ross then scored nine of UVA Wise’s 12 points in the second overtime period, including six in a row to help the Cavaliers keep the lead.
The Pioneers (3-22, 1-18 SAC) placed six players in double figures, led by 19 points from Carleigh Wilson and 15 points and a career-high 10 rebounds from Jenna Kallenberg. Artasia Cole came off the bench to score 14 of her season-high 15 points in the third and fourth quarters, while Ni’Kiah Chesterfield had 13 points and nine rebounds. Faith Silva added 12 points and Delana DeBusk scored 10 for the Pioneers, who outrebounded the Cavaliers 54-51 and went 22-for-27 (81.5 percent) from the foul line as a team.
Katlin Burger had 19 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four steals for the Cavaliers, who ended the game at 38.6 percent (32-for-83) from the field and 13-for-31 from three-point range (41.9 percent). Sarah Burton collected 11 points and 10 rebounds and Sable Burnside finished with seven points and a game-high 13 rebounds before fouling out.
Cole’s 15 points came on 5-for-7 shooting from the field, including three three-pointers, and nearly doubled her previous season high of eight points set Dec. 2 against Anderson. Kallenberg’s double-double was the first of her career and came in a career-high 41 minutes for the Pioneers.
Tusculum trailed 67-63 with 6:40 to play, but the Pioneers went on a 14-3 run that featured a pair of three-pointers from Cole and one by Kallenberg. The Pioneers went up 77-70 on a Cole basket with 1:42 remaining, but Ross nailed a three to cut the margin to 77-73 with 1:24 to go. After a Tusculum miss, Ross converted a three-point play with 47 seconds left to bring the Cavaliers within 77-76.
Ross missed a go-ahead shot with eight seconds to go and Cole grabbed the rebound, then made one of two free throws with 4.3 seconds left for a 78-76 Pioneer lead. On the final possession of regulation, Ross drew a foul with 0.5 left and sank two free throws to force overtime.
The Pioneers ran off the first six points of overtime on two free throws from Chesterfield and Silva and a layup by DeBusk to go ahead 84-78 with 3:15 on the clock. Burger made two foul shots with 2:23 left, and after a Tusculum turnover Ross sank a three to cut the deficit to 84-83 with 1:56 to go. Tusculum missed a shot with 1:24 left, and on a third opportunity at the other end Burger made a layup put Wise ahead 85-84 with a minute to go.
Cole would make a free throw with 45.0 seconds left to tie the game at 85-85, and a miss on the second attempt was grabbed by Wilson to set up another chance for the Pioneers. Another offensive rebound off a Tusculum miss by Wilson led to two free throws with 7.1 seconds left, which Wilson nailed for an 87-85 Pioneer lead. After a timeout, Ross hit a pull-up jumper with 3.2 remaining to send the game to a second extra period.
Ross sank a three on the first possession of the second overtime to put UVA Wise on top 90-87, but Wilson made two three throws with 3:54 left to put the Pioneers ahead for the final time at 91-90. Two free throws from Leah Kestner with 3:29 to go gave the Cavaliers the lead for good at 92-91. UVA Wise went up 94-91 on a layup by Ross with 2:36 left, and Ross added two free throws with 1:22 left and with 26.7 seconds left to play to keep the UVA Wise lead at three. After a missed three from the Pioneers, Macie Ridge clinched the win by making one free throw with 10.1 seconds left.
UVA Wise jumped to an 11-0 lead in the first two minutes, but the Pioneers clawed back to within 19-16 on a three-pointer by Monique Shim with 3:10 left in the opening quarter. A layup by Nae Marion brought Tusculum within 22-20 after one quarter. Tusculum gained its first lead at 24-23 on a DeBusk jumper with 7:54 left in the first half, and the Pioneers would go up by as many as eight points at 43-35 on a layup by Wilson with 1:26 remaining.
Wilson led the Pioneers with 12 points in the first half, with nine from Kallenberg and eight from Chesterfield. Tusculum shot an even 50 percent (17-for-34) from the field and went 5-for-14 from three-point range as a team. Burger led the Cavaliers with 13 points in the first half while Ross added 10 points as UVA Wise shot 39.4 percent (13-for-33) and 4-for-12 from beyond the arc.
Tusculum led 47-42 following a DeBusk basket with 7:38 left in the third quarter, but UVA Wise went on a 9-0 run on two three-pointers from Burton and one from Burnside to go up 51-47 with 5:43 to go. A Cole three-pointer tied the game at 60-60 with 1:20 left, but Ross sank a three with 35 seconds left to give the Cavaliers a 63-62 lead heading to the fourth.
Marion had six points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench for the Pioneers. For UVA Wise, Mackenzie Bremer had seven points and two rebounds and Ridge finished with six points off the bench for the Cavaliers.
Tusculum will wrap up its 2023-24 season on Saturday, March 2 at Anderson beginning at 2 p.m. The Pioneers outscored the Trojans 26-9 in the fourth quarter to rally for a 76-69 victory in the SAC opener back on Dec. 2 at Pioneer Arena.
