Jennings v AQ
Kellen Burke - MU Sports Media
Keairra Jennings hoists a three-pointer from the corner.
88
Winner Lawrence Tech LAWRENCE 12-16, 10-12
87
Madonna MADONNA 10-18, 6-16
Winner
Lawrence Tech LAWRENCE
12-16, 10-12
88
Final
87
Madonna MADONNA
10-18, 6-16
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 OT 1 OT 2 F
Lawrence Tech LAWRENCE 12 20 20 20 9 7 88
Madonna MADONNA 16 14 25 17 9 6 87

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Kellen Burke

Crusaders nearly stun Blue Devils in double-overtime

LIVONIA, Mich. - For the final game of the 2023-24 season, the Madonna Crusaders (10-17, 6-16) returned home to face the Lawrence Tech Blue Devils (11-16, 9-12). What would start off as a defensive battle would turn out to be a shootout in the second half, with the Crusaders taking the Blue Devils into two overtime periods. In the final seconds, the Blue Devils would avoid the upset and take a 88-87 victory in double-overtime.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The Crusaders did not let their loss to the Blue Devils earlier in the season phase them as they came out of the gate as aggressive as they've been all season. The Blue Devils would score first but after that the Crusaders would go on a run for the remainder of the quarter. Keairra Jennings would score nearly half of the Crusaders' points that quarter herself with seven points. The Crusaders led 16-12 after one period of play.

There was a noticeable shift in energy from the Blue Devils in the second quarter as they started off with a 18-0 run. Crusader guard Kayiona Willis would end the drought with a three from the top of the key. Junior guard Aaliyah McQueen would score a layup on the next possession as the Crusaders began to cut into the Blue Devils' new lead. Sophomore Marcela Rodriguez would hoist a three of her own from the right-side wing as the Crusaders would go on a run of their own. The Crusaders' run would extend to 14-0 as sophomore Delani Robinson would tie the game at 30-30 with a fast-break layup. The Blue Devils would get the last shot of the quarter, going into the half with just a two-point lead over the Crusaders, 32-30.

The Blue Devils would steadily hold onto their lead for a majority of the third quarter, but the Crusaders stayed on their heels. With two minutes to play, McQueen would drop back-to-back threes to give the Crusaders their first lead of the second half. They would hold on to their lead going into the final period, up 55-52 on the Blue Devils.

Luck would not be on the side of the Crusaders in the fourth quarter, as the ball did not fall their way in the final ten minutes. However, even so the Crusaders would hold onto the lead until just under three minutes remaining In the game, where the final three minutes were a back-and-forth shootout. with the game tied at 72-72, the Blue Devils would get the last shot at the buzzer. The step-back three by the Blue Devils' guard would hit off the rim, taking the game into overtime.

With McQueen fouling out in the fourth quarter, the Crusaders would head into overtime without their leading scorer of the game thus far. In her absence, it was LaZae Mosley who came up big, with eight points in the fourth quarter and first overtime period, including a steal and fast-break layup that tied the game up at 81-81 and extended the game into a second overtime period.

Mosley would score the first bucket of the period for the Crusaders with a driving layup. Freshman Dekota Smith would put her body on the line to extend the Crusader lead to four with an and-one layup. With just under two minutes remaining, the Blue Devils would answer and cut the lead back to two. A free throw from Jennings would extend the lead back to three. The Blue Devils would tie it up with a three-pointer with one minute to play. 

With a free-throw in the final three-seconds of play, the Blue Devils would end the game, taking an 88-87 victory over the Crusaders in a game no one saw coming.

INSIDE NUMBERS:
  • McQueen led the team with 22 points.
  • Jennings was close behind with 20 points. 
  • Willis scored 14 points and shot 4-of-7 from three.
  • Mosley scored 10 points all in the fourth quarter and overtime.
UP NEXT: 

The Crusaders will head into the off-season, hoping to regroup and reload for the 2024-25 season. They can go into the off-season proud that they achieved the first ten-win season for the program since the 2017-18 season.

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