Fire Upset #3 MidAmerica Nazarene In a Thriller

OLATHE, Kan. - When it came down to the wire, the Fire made the shot they needed to.

In a nip-and-tuck affair at MidAmerica Nazarene University, the Fire battled the NAIA Division I No. 3 Pioneers in game one of their Kanas road trip and came away with a 66-64 win.

 The Fire had an electrifying second quarter that set the team up for success in the second half.  As to be expected between these two teams, the fourth quarter surely did not disappoint.  Early on in the fourth quarter, the Pioneers went on a 10-2 run, but the relentless offense of Southeastern never caved in.  The Fire fought their way back to tie the game with 2:28 remaining in regulation.

As time began to dwindle, the Fire's Christin Strawbridge delivered the deciding basket inside the paint with one second left on the clock.

 Quickly, the Pioneers tried to inbound the ball and put up a shot, but one last defensive stance was made by the Fire to declare them victorious.

The Fire had an explosive game from five of their members, all of which recorded double digit points.  Leading the charge was the transfer from UCF, Sarah Green. The Columbia, South Carolina native shot a solid 57 percent from the field. Green posted an impressive 12 points in the first half and finished with 16 points along with seven rebounds.

Bailey Hooker, who has played fundamental basketball all season, put together another sound performance with 12 points and recorded a block. The senior from Lutz, Florida was able to facilitate the basketball to her teammates for open looks all around the floor. Hooker finished with a team leading four assists.

While her late game heroics are spectacular, Strawbridge's 28 total minutes generated 12 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. The 2015 Polk County Female Athlete of the Year contributed immensely to the Fire's paint presence.

A team that is known for its lights-out perimeter shooting had a tough time getting it going from beyond the arc. However, Alyssa Ramos, who finished with 10 points, had nine from three point land. As a collective group, the Fire shot 20 percent from the three point line, but were able to adjust and generate 41 of their 66 points from inside the paint.

The Fire played lockdown defense, as they were able to force 21 turnovers and hold the Pioneers to a 37 percent field goal percentage. Ana Richter was one of many who contributed to the Fire's key defensive stops. Richter tallied a team leading three steals, as well as, five rebounds.