Moreland hits pair of free throws with two seconds left for 72-71 win

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - McDaniel needed every last one of Ali Moreland's (Davidsonville, Md./South River) game-high 22 points to notch a 72-71 overtime victory at ninth-ranked Muhlenberg in Centennial Conference (CC) women's basketball action on Tuesday.

After Kelly McKeon, who finished with 20 points for the Mules (8-2, 6-1 CC), hit a layup and converted the ensuing free throw with 7.5 seconds remaining in the extra session to give the hosts a 71-70 lead, Moreland dribbled up court and was fouled with 2.5 seconds to play.

The senior calmly sank both free throws to cap her sixth collegiate 20-point game and the defense did not allow Muhlenberg to get a shot off, giving the Green Terror (8-4, 7-2 CC) its first win over a top-10 opponent since defeating Johns Hopkins 59-57 in the 2004 CC championship game.

Sheila Cook led Muhlenberg with 21 points while Alexandra Chili added 14 points and 10 rebounds and Kate Clawson chipped in 10 off the bench. McKeon also had a double-double with 10 rebounds.

Cara Thompson (Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown) finished a rebound shy of her second double-double this season with 16 points and nine rebounds while Ashley Lyles (Laurel, Md./St. Vincent Pallotti) added 14 points, including the game-tying jumper with 1.5 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime.

Lyles gave McDaniel a quick two-point edge in overtime before Chili connected on five straight points to put the Mules on top, 63-60 with 3:51 to play.

Whitney Snoops (Millersville, Md./Archbishop Spalding) knotted the game at 65-all with 2:00 to play in the extra five-minute period before two more free throws from Lyles gave McDaniel a 67-65 lead a minute later.

One McKeon free throw trimmed the deficit in half but Moreland converted two from the line for a three-point lead.

After Clawson made it a 69-68 game with 29 seconds to play, Thompson hit the front end of a two-shot foul to make it a two-point margin.

McKeon hit a driving layup on a second chance, and was fouled in the process to set up the final sequence.

Behind baskets from three different players, the Green Terror built a 6-2 lead over the game's first 1:33 and extended the lead to as much a 14-8 with 14:40 remaining in the first half.

A 17-4 Mule run turned the tables and gave the hosts a 25-18 lead with 3:23 to play in the stanza but five straight Snoops points to close the half evened the game at 27 entering the break.

Muhlenberg pushed its lead to as much as six in the second half on a McKeon layup with 11:57 to play.

Trailing 54-49 with 4:36 to play, Lyles hit a jumper and Thompson connected on a layup 34 seconds later to make it a one-point game.

Cook momentarily stretched the lead back to three with a jumper but Thompson responded once again.

Lyles hit the second of two free throws with 1:19 on the clock to knot the game at 56 but McKeon connected on two from charity stripe nine seconds later to put the hosts back in front.

Out of Mule timeout with 26.1 seconds left, Moreland stole the ball and the Green Terror played for a final shot after a timeout in the front court with 17.1 seconds showing. Lyles drained the basket from short range to force McDaniel's second consecutive overtime contest.

Thompson added a career-best five assists while Moreland added three. With Moreland's 22-point performance, the reigning CC Player of the Week now has 917 for her career, leaving her 83 points shy of becoming the Green Terror's 14th 1,000-point scorer.

The Green Terror victory snapped Muhlenberg's 28-game winning streak against CC opponents and gave the two teams a split of the season series for the first time since the conference went to one division in 2003-04.

McDaniel puts its eight-game winning streak on the line when it returns to action at home against Ursinus on Thursday. Game time is 6 p.m.

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