ERIE, Pa. – Mercedes Jones scored a game-high 27 points, shooting 11-for-13 from the free-throw line, to lead Hiram past Penn State Behrend 62-55 in overtime in the first round of the Creative Imprints Tip-Off Tournament on Friday night in the Junker Center.
The Terriers (3-0) used an 11-2 run in the final 1:13 of overtime to pull ahead and advance to the championship game tomorrow against Fredonia State, a 73-72 winner over Grove City in the second contest.
Kayla Yost was also in double figures 15 points for the Terriers. She netted five points in overtime while the team went 7-for-8 from the charity stripe in the final minute of the game.
Dani Reinwald (Clymer, NY/Clymer Central) continues to dominate off the bench for the Lions (1-1) with her second straight double-double of the season. The freshman led with 18 points and 11 rebounds to go along with six steals.
With time expiring in the fourth quarter and down by three points, Reinwald converted a non-traditional three-point play with the layup and ensuing free throw to knot the game for the sixth time of the night at 51-all. Both teams had one last shot at the basket, but neither could stop overtime from coming.
Rachael Razzano (New Castle, PA/New Castle) put Behrend ahead with the first two points of overtime thanks to a pair of free throws at 53-51. Jones followed with a layup to tie it at 53 and started the run that sent Hiram into the championship game.
Jones and Allison Vannoy hit back-to-back shots from the free-throw line and Yost scored the final four points for a seven-point victory.
The Lions led in the first quarter, edging the Terriers 13-9 in the first 10 minutes of play. The next two quarters were dead even with both teams scoring 12 points in each.
Behrend managed to grab a six-point lead with 6:27 left to play in the fourth. Heidi Langhorst (Corapolis, PA/Our Lady of the Sacred Heart) got the layup to go and Erika Woll (Erie, PA/Mercyhurst) got the steal and a three-pointer for a 44-38 advantage.
A quick 8-0 by Hiram took the lead away from the Lions by two points at 3:58 remaining and kept the Terriers out front until Reinwald's heroics to send it into an extra period.
Woll finished with eight points and a career-high seven steals.
Behrend returns to action tomorrow against Grove City in the consolation game at 1 p.m.
