Grit Earns Fire a Spot in SUN Finals

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.- Southeastern women's basketball will play for another Sun Conference tournament championship after a taking a 101-96 hard-fought, overtime battle with the No. 2 seed Bobcats of St. Thomas.
 
Gabby Suarez concluded the contest with a team-leading 25 points, nine of which came in the five-minute overtime period to aid in the Fire victory.
 
The Fire outshot their opponent in both the first and second quarters, going 41% from the field in the first 10 minutes and 42% in the second. Southeastern took a 26-19 lead into the second quarter with Kiki Britzmann and Suarez combining for 14. A layup by the Bobcats with 4:47 on the clock in the first gave them a two-point edge, the only lead that the Fire would relinquish until 18 seconds left in the final quarter.
 
Raegan Linster grabbed the largest lead of the game with a three-pointer at the 3:36 to put the Fire up 12, but the Bobcats spent the remainder of the contest chipping away at the Fire lead.
 
Both teams would post 22 points in the third quarter, but the Fire would still hold a substantial 12-point lead heading into the final frame of regulation.
 
A 59% (10-17) midrange effort from the Bobcats in the final regulation period and 13 points from Kasey Gagan would force the overtime period.
 
With 3:55 remaining in regulation, a three-point play by Anja Knoflach gave the Fire an 11-point lead but a 17-6 run from the Bobcats, eight by Gagan, in the final four minutes would end the fourth period knotted at 85.
 
The Bobcats struck first in the overtime period, taking a one-point lead with a free throw but a 2-2 effort at the line by Britzmann and a three-point shot by Suarez gave the Fire back the 90-86 lead. Two more free throws by Suarez would give the Fire the 92-88 lead with 2:40 on the clock, a deficit that would be cut in half with a Gagan layup. Suarez and Britzmann again went back-to-back from the field to put the Fire up six with 1:33 on the clock. Down to the final nine seconds, the Bobcats would drain a shot from distance to bring the contest within three but two good free throws by Emilia Sexton would secure the Fire's spot in the SUN Tournament Finals.
 
Britzmann concluded the contest with 18 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists while Sexton would tally 16 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds. Knoflach would also conclude the night with a double-double with 13 and 10 while Linster would be just one rebounds short of a double-double, tallying 23 points.
 
Southeastern will await their opponent for the SUN finals tomorrow at 5 p.m.