The Virginia Wesleyan University women's basketball team (14-11, 8-8 ODAC) secured a thrilling 64-63 buzzer-beater victory over Averett University (8-16, 4-12 ODAC) on Saturday, February 21.
The Marlins team was led by
Bre Robinson scoring 20 points, shooting 6-for-12 from the field, 7-for-8 from the free throw line, had three rebounds, and two steals.
Brianna Long also added 19 points for the Marlins, shooting 7-for-10 from the field, 5-for-7 from the free throw line, grabbed 12 rebounds, and had two steals.
Sydney Turner tallied 10 points as well, shooting 3-for-6 from the field, 4-for-8 from the free throw line, had six rebounds, and stole the ball once.
Both teams came out firing, going shot-for-shot throughout the first quarter of the game. With 3:35 left in the quarter, the score was an even 7-7. The Marlins went on a 9-6 run in the last few minutes of the game, leaving the score at a close 14-13 going into the second quarter.
Averett started the second quarter hot, going on a 10-4 run within the first five minutes, bringing the score to 23-18 with 5:16 left on the clock. Virginia Wesleyan responded with a 5-1 run to bring the score to an even 23-23 with two minutes left in the first half.The teams traded shots over the final few minutes, but the Cougars held a narrow lead, going into halftime with a score of 29-28.
Both teams came out of halftime trading baskets throughout much of the third quarter, with neither side able to create much separation. The back-and-forth action kept the game close as each team responded to the other's scoring efforts. With 2:27 remaining in the quarter, the score was tied at 40-40. The Marlins were able to pull ahead in the last few minutes, going on a 5-2 run and bringing the score of 42-43 going into the final quarter.
In the final quarter, Averett held the lead for nearly the entire ten minutes of play. However, with the Marlins trailing 63-61 and just 39 seconds remaining, they turned to #2
Bre Robinson for a chance to take the lead. Assisted by
Maesyn Blaylock, Robinson created space with a step-back fade away three-pointer and knocked it down with only four seconds left on the clock, securing a dramatic 64-63 victory for the Marlins.
