Lady Blues rally from 14-point deficit to top No. 3 Emporia State

Jan. 11, 2006

Box Score | Season Stats

EMPORIA, Kan. – The No. 1 ranked Washburn Lady Blues rallied from a 14-point deficit with 10:17 remaining in the game in a come-from-behind 72-70 win over No. 3 ranked Emporia State in White Auditorium capped by Megan Sullivan’s putback with 2.8 seconds remaining off an offensive rebound putting Washburn over the top of the Lady Hornets. With the win, Washburn wins its 34^th consecutive game, snapping the MIAA record they shared with Emporia State, who won 33 straight games during the 1997-98 season. Washburn will return home on Saturday night to face Southwest Baptist in Lee Arena at 5:30 p.m.

After trailing 55-41 with 10:17 left in the game, the Lady Blues chipped away at the Lady Hornet lead behind senior guard Jennifer Harris who scored 20 of her game-high 28 points in the final 9:23 of the contest. After scoring 10 straight for Washburn on a pair of 3-pointers and a pair of driving lay-ups, Washburn trailed 59-53 after a 3-pointer by Brooke Ubelaker. Washburn cut the lead to 59-55 on two Sullivan free throws.

ESU would score on a lay up to push the lead back to 61-55 with 5:00 left. Again Harris hit from 3-point range cutting the lead back to three. Again ESU scored on a jumper by Carolyn Dorsey who scored four straight for Emporia State. After a pair of Harris free throws cutting the lead back to three at 63-60, ESU responded with two free throws of their own from Casey Henningsen with 3:08 pushing the lead back to five. Cindy Keeley hit a free throw cutting the lead to 65-61 with 3:02 left. On ESU’s next possession, April Roadhouse blocked an ESU lay up and Brooke Ubelaker trimmed the lead to one at 65-64 with 2:44 remaining on a 3-pointer from the corner.

With 1:59 remaining, Henningsen built the lead back to three on a lay up building the lead back to 67-64. After a Ubelaker free throw at 1:18 remaining that sliced the ESU lead to two at the 1:39 mark, Harris was fouled on the way to the bucket and hit both free throws to tie the score at 67 with 1:18 in the game. After an ESU miss on offense, Harris hit a 3-pointer to give the Lady Blues a 70-67 lead. ESU’s Andi McAlexander hit a 3 of her own with 12 seconds remaining in the game knotting the score at 70.

On Washburn’s next possession, Harris drove the lane, but her jumper missed and Sullivan rebounded the carom and hit the stick-back for the game winner with 2.8 remaining. Keeley sealed the game stealing the three-quarters court in bounds pass as time expired.

In the first half, ESU led the entire half with the exception of Washburn leading at 3-2 as the Lady Blues were held to 11 of 35 shooting from the field.

Harris would finish with 28 points hitting 9 of 29 shots. The 29 field goal attempts ties the Washburn record held by Brenda Shaffer-Dahl, who attempted 29 on two occasions – against Pittsburg State on Jan. 20, 1990 and vs Truman on Feb. 21, 1990. Ubelaker scored 16 points. Sullivan finished with eight points and tied a season high with 10 rebounds. The win was the fourth in a row over Emporia State.