Ellery Koelker-Wolfe collected her first career double-double on Wednesday night. photo credit: Alisha Alexander
Ellery Koelker-Wolfe collected her first career double-double on Wednesday night. photo credit: Alisha Alexander

Women's Basketball Outlasts Scrappy La Verne Squad in Overtime

CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's basketball team overcame a nine-point halftime deficit to defeat the La Verne Leopards 80-77 in overtime on Wednesday night. The Athenas used a balanced scoring effort to complete the victory with Corinne Bogle (CMC) leading the offense with 19 points. Bogle also grabbed 14 rebounds for her first career double-double. Ellery Koelker-Wolfe (CMC) also completed her first career double-double with an impressive 13-point, 18-rebound effort on the evening.

The victory improves the Athenas to 17-3 overall and 10-1 in the SCIAC.

La Verne brought energy, pressure, and a quick finger on the trigger throughout Wednesday's ball game. The result was a fast-paced game with the Leopards controlling the pace of play for large stretches of the contest. Their quick trigger finger resulted in 36 attempts from beyond the arc. La Verne connected on eight threes in the first-half, but just two after the break.

The Leopards jumped out to an 18-11 lead at the end of the first quarter and continued to build their lead early in the second period. Just over two minutes into the second quarter, La Verne held a 25-11 lead after a pair of free throws from Jessica Hanashiro.

Over the next five and a half minutes, CMS chipped away at the lead and eventually cut it down to 30-24 following a 13-5 run. Bogle fueled the run with seven points during the stretch.

La Verne quickly built their lead back to double-digits and held a 38-26 advantage with less than a minute remaining in the half. Koelker-Wolfe ended the half with an and-one layup and the Athenas trailed by nine, 38-29, heading to the break.

CMS began the third quarter with a 12-6 run over the first four minutes of the half to pull within three at 44-41. Bogle got the run started by connecting on a pair of jumpers early in the period. Maezelle Millan (CMC) capped off the run with a jumper four minute into the period. Both Bogle and Millan led the Athenas with four points each during the run.

With the two sides now separated by just one possession, neither team found the bottom of the cup for the next 2:30. Bogle eventually broke the scoring drought with a layup that brought CMS within one at 44-43 with 3:37 left to play in the quarter.

A minute and a half later, Michelle Lanterman (HMC) connected on her first three of the season to give the Athenas their first lead of the game at 48-47. The Leopards took the lead back, but CMS kept it close and trailed by just one, 53-52, heading to the fourth quarter.

For the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter neither team took more than a three-point advantage. La Verne held a 60-57 lead with 3:56 remaining in regulation. A layup from Lindsey Cleary (CMC) started an 11-2 CMS run that lasted two and half minutes. After a Lanterman layup, CMS led 68-62 lead with 1:36 remaining in the quarter.

La Verne ended regulation with a trey from Bailey Kurahasi and a three-point play from Clarissa Perez to tie the game and force overtime.

CMS did have a chance at the end of regulation, but an attempt from the paint was off the mark and the two teams headed to the extra period tied 68-68.

Playing in their first overtime game of the season, the Athenas took a 73-69 lead less than a minute into the period. That lead was quickly erased when the Leopards went on a 6-1 run to take a 75-74 advantage just over a minute later. A clutch three from Teeana Cotangco (CMC) gave the Athenas the lead back at 77-75 with just over two minutes to play.

La Verne did not go down without a fight, pulling within one at 78-77. The Athenas closed out the contest with a pair of free throws from Bogle in the final 20 seconds of the game to claim the 80-77 victory.

As mentioned, it was a big night for Bogle and Koelker-Wolfe as both recorded their first career double-doubles. Millan (12 points), Cleary (11), and Cotango (11) joined the duo with double-figure point totals on the night.

With the win the Athenas improve to 10-1 in the conference and 17-3 overall. CMS will next take the floor on Saturday when they host Occidental at 7:00 p.m.