KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. –
Kaylee Krusemark scored the game-winning basket with 5.5 seconds left in overtime to lift College of Idaho to an important 80-78 win over Oregon Tech on Friday night.
The late heroics were part of a huge night for the senior, who piled up a career-high 24 points on 8-for-17 shooting from the floor.
Trailing by 14 late in the first quarter, the Yotes (7-3, 1-1 CCC) went to work in the second quarter to get right back in the game, outscoring the Owls (5-2, 0-2 CCC) by a 22-13 tally. The quarter was highlighted by an 8-0 run to make it 31-28 OIT and then an 8-0 stretch before the half to cut the lead to 38-36 entering the break.
Following the half, neither team would build a lead of larger than two points for the final 25 minutes of action in what was a back-and-forth affair.
Lexi Mitchell had a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds in the win, her fifth of the season.
It was Mitchell who emphatically blocked a 3-point attempt by Kristin Farrell with 3:21 remaining, with the junior then going on to earn a trip to the free throw line down by a point with 14 seconds left in regulation. She would convert on one her two attempts at the strip to even the score at 66-66.
The Owls then quickly launched a 3-pointer by Farrell following the timeout that
Jada Reed would rebound, prompting a timeout on the C of I side to draw up a play.
Krusemark would be the recipient of the opportunity following the timeout, giving the Yotes a 68-66 lead with 1.6 seconds on the clock by lifting a shot over a pair of defenders through contact in the lane.
After the Yotes knocked the ball out of bounds on the ensuing possession, OIT would convert on a lob play with 0.4 seconds left to force the overtime period.
C of I outscored the Owls 12-10 in overtime, giving the visitors their second overtime win of the season.
Sienna Riggle joined Mitchell and Krusemark in double-digits with 10 points on the night.
With the win, the Yotes improved to 5-1 this season when hitting over 40 percent of their shots from the floor. C of I went 28-for-67 (42 percent) from the field and 7-for-19 (37 percent) from the perimeter. OIT went 32-for-69 (46 percent) overall but just 3-for-15 (20 percent) on 3-pointers.
After starting the road trip out on a high note, the Yotes return to action on Saturday at 3 p.m. PT at Southern Oregon inside the Lithia Motors Pavilion.
