Wildcats Outlast Gators in 76-75 Overtime Bout

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Bay Path junior Kayla Skiffington (East Longmeadow, Mass.) led all players with 27 points, while collecting 12 rebounds, while classmate Justine Hook (Berwick, Penn.) added 22 points of her own to lead the visiting Wildcats to a 76-75 overtime victory over Pine Manor on Wednesday evening at Brunelli Court in Chestnut Hill, MA.

Pine Manor sophomore Natasia Franklin (Windsor, Conn.) collected a game-high 21 rebounds while adding a team-high 18 points for the Gators, but Pine Manor was unable to put away the Wildcats despite leading by as many as 20 points during the second half. Three other Pine Manor players finished in double-figures alongside Franklin, as freshmen Alexis Lee (Akron, Ohio) and Sybil Lynch (Hoboken, N.J.) each finished with 16 points, while freshman Meagan Badohu (Boston, Mass.) also recorded a double-double, scoring 11 points to go along with 13 rebounds.

With Pine Manor leading 42-32 at the start of the second half, the Gators continued to add on. Pine Manor's lead swelled to 20 points following an 'and-one' play by Franklin with 14:43 remaining in the second-half. However, from that point forward Bay Path slowly chipped away at the Pine Manor deficit, eventually cutting the lead to single digits at the 6:50 mark when Skiffington converted on the second of two free-throws.

The Wildcats and Gators then traded baskets for the next two-minutes, until Bay Path was able to string together three consecutive shots to take a 65-64 lead following an 'and-one' conversion  by Skiffington with 1:25 remaining. A layup by Badohu gave Pine Manor the lead again just 12 seconds later but PMC's lead was short lived as Hook nailed the second of two free-throws to tie the game at 66 with :36 seconds to play. The Gators got the final chance in regulation but a jumper by Badohu found only iron, sending the game into overtime.

In the extra-session, neither team was able to establish a lead greater than two points, as the score remained tied throughout much of the period. Skiffington gave Bay Path a two-point advantage to start overtime but Lee quickly responded to tie the game again in the opening minute. A pair of free-throws by Badohu then put Pine Manor ahead, before Skiffington evened the score at 70-all with 2:03 to play. The teams then traded two-pairs of layups, bring the score to 74-74 with just under a minute remaining.

The Wildcats took the final lead with :29 seconds remaining when a PMC foul allowed Bay Path sophomore Katherine Chabot (Brookfield, Mass.) to sink two free-throws and give the visitors a 76-74 advantage.chabot finished with 12 boards and six points. Two other freshman starting Wildcats finished with six points as well including Stephanie Synott (Torrington, Conn.) and Amber Cohens (Hamden, Conn.).

However, the Gators would get their chance at the line just seconds later but freshman Khiyana Isaac (Boston, Mass.) would only sink one-of-two to make the score 76-75.

Determined to fight back, Pine Manor then forced a turnover in the dying seconds of the game but Lee was unable to convert on a runner in the lane as time expired, giving Bay Path the 76-75 victory.

Pine Manor will be back in action tomorrow night when they take on local rival Lesley University at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge, MA at 8:00 PM. Bay Path will play again this weekend when they travel to Albertus Magnus College for a 3:00 pm tip-off versus Albertus Magnus.