Carter Leads CMS Women's Basketball to Comeback Win over Cal Lutheran in OT

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Jacey Carter had a career-high 20 points on six second-half three-pointers, including the tying one with 11.1 seconds left in regulation, as the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's basketball team earned a comeback 72-67 overtime win over Cal Lutheran on Wednesday evening at Roberts Pavilion.

Mary Markaryan also had a career-high with 17 points for the Athenas. With the win, CMS improves to 12-5 overall and 8-2 in the SCIAC, while Cal Lutheran slips to 10-7 overall and 4-5 in league play with the loss. 

CMS also improved to 3-0 in overtime games this year, forcing overtime with tying baskets in the final 20 seconds all three times, including two Carter three-pointers, with the first coming in a 79-77 win over Illinois Wesleyan on Dec. 30. 

Carter's tying three was a deep one from about 25 feet off an inside-out pass from Ariana Dalia, going through the net with 11.1 seconds remaining to knot the score at 61-61. CMS wasn't sure it would go to overtime, though, after the Regals went the length of the court and Aliya DiMuro hit a short jumper in the paint as the buzzer sounded. After conferring for a couple of tense minutes, the officials waived off the basket for coming after time expired, sending the game into an extra session. 

Renee Chong started the overtime with a basket, which DiMuro answered to tie the score at 63-63, but Mary Markaryan put the Athenas ahead to stay. After Cal Lutheran split two at the line, Dalia hit a baseline jumper, and Chong pulled in a key defensive rebound and made two foul shots to push the lead to 69-64. Sara Mills hit a three to make it a two-point game, and Chong split two at the line to make it a three-point game with 10 seconds left. Cal Lutheran's last chance, though, went awry as Dalia stole the length of the court pass and Markayan finished off the game with a layup as time expired. 

DiMuro's basket with 1:54 to play put Cal Lutheran ahead 60-55, before Carter hit her fifth three of the second half to close it to a two-point game. CMS had a chance to tie in transition, but Mills was able to force a held ball and earn a steal when the possession arrow favored Cal Lutheran. The Regals then split two at the line, and Carter was able to knock down another clutch three to tie it. 

Carter finished the game 6-12 from the floor and 6-10 on threes (6-7 in the second half after an 0-3 first half) for her 20 points, eclipsing her previous career high of 18 points set against Pomona-Pitzer earlier this season. Markaryan was 6-9 from the floor to eclipse her previous career high of 16, which set twice earlier this season. Chong and Ava Grey were both in double figures with 11 points apiece. 

CMS will be back in action on Saturday when it hosts Caltech for a 2 p.m. contest, which will also be Senior Day for Carter and Dalia. The Athenas won the first meeting between the teams, which was also in overtime, after Chong tied it with a runner with 14 seconds left.