The Saint Louis University women's basketball team finished out the season strong with a win in overtime against Memphis this past Friday with a score of 59-58.
Two Billikens posted career highs: Rachel Diener scored 15 points, all three pointers, and Tyler McIlwraith pulled down 12 rebounds.
The lone senior, Ava Smith, started out the night for the Bills on senior night. When the starting lineup is called, they toss a miniball to the crowd; Smith, in her last night playing for SLU, had a touching moment when she tossed her ball to her mother sitting in the bleachers.
"We played really well as a team tonight," Smith said. "At different points during the game we brought it back together and the hard work paid off."
The Bills came ready to play, and Marquita McFarland scored the first basket of the night. The Tigers then scored the next three baskets to go up 6-2. The Bills came back with a big three from Rachel Diener, and took the lead from a drive to the basket by Smith.
The Bills tried to build on their lead with baskets by McFarland and Krystle Hatton, which gave the Bills the lead by five with 14:16 left in the half.
With a few SLU turnovers, and after more than two minutes without a SLU basket, the Tigers were able to make a few foul shots to get within one, 15-14, with 7:35 left in the half. Their next time down the floor, the Tigers took the lead with a jumper by Jessica Hall.
The Bills would not stand for that. They took the ball down the court and took back the lead. The Bills would spend the rest of the half maintaining and building on their lead, taking a 26-23 lead into the locker room.
The Bills started off the half with a three-pointer by Diener. McFarland followed with a basket of her own for the Bills, about a minute after Diener's.
The Bills then went over four minutes without a shot, which allowed the Tigers to tie the game back up with three baskets-and without missing a foul shot so far in the half.
"We kept missing shots and were unable to convert on some plays," Smith said. "We let them get too many offensive rebounds and we needed to limit our turnovers."
The Tigers took the lead again with 13:10 left in the half, off a shot right under the basket.
Tyler McIlwraith broke the six minute shot drought by sinking a needed basket for the Bills. With 11 minutes left in the game, McFarland took the lead for the Bills, 35-34, by sinking both of her free throws.
However, 15 seconds later, the Tigers took back the lead by sinking two free throws of their own.
"I think that fatigue was a factor when we weren't scoring," Diener said. "Our shots weren't falling and we weren't using our legs enough."
The Tigers sank another basket, but Diener sank a three-pointer to tie the game again, with 8:50 remaining. The Tigers, however, sank three quick shots to stretch their tenuous lead to six, 44-38.
The Bills fought back with a couple of threes, one by Smith and another by Diener, to tie the game up 49-49 with 3:41 to go.
The Tigers took the lead again with 1:24 left in the game, putting them up by two.
The Bills, with about 30 seconds left in the game, tied it up with a basket by Heather King.
The Bills then held the Tigers by stopping Raven Rogers' lay-up and forcing the game into overtime.
"Before coming out tonight, we knew it was our last game and all we wanted to do was go out and have fun and get a win," Diener said.
In overtime, the Bills scored first with two foul shots by McFarland. The Tigers tied it back up again. McIlwraith sank a basket, followed by two free throws, to put the Bills back up, 57-53.
The Tigers then sank a free-throw and two baskets to take back the lead with only 56 seconds left.
With Just a few seconds left, McFarland was able to sink a shot that put the Bills up by one. The Tigers got the ball with only a few seconds left, but were unable to score a basket.
"It feels good to get the win. We are really excited and happy," McFarland said. McFarland posted a double-double and was the high scorer of the game with 20 points and 12 rebounds.
The Bills ended their season 4-23, and 3-11 in Conference USA.
