University needed a run. The Trailblazers had spent the majority of the afternoon on their heels, seeing a 12-point first-half lead at Lebanon dwindle to six at the break, then become a deficit in the final 15 seconds of regulation. Two free throws from junior guard Brooke Andrus sent the game to overtime in the first place at 41-41, and after a level first overtime period, a second was required to settle the score.
After falling behind to start the second overtime, 47-45, the Trailblazers turned to their leading scorer to knot the game up, feeding Lindsey Syrek for a bucket. University fed Syrek the next time down the floor, and the sophomore forward went to the line, knocking down two free throws to give her team a 49-47 lead. After another stop, Syrek scored another 2-pointer, pushing the lead to four.
Senior guard Natalie Nickless drilled four consecutive free throws to push University’s lead to 55-47, then junior guard Haley Tomlinson split a pair to cap off an 11-0 run. After Lebanon finally ended the run with a late 2-pointer, Nickless hit two more free throws, securing a 58-49, double-overtime road win at Lebanon on Saturday afternoon.
The Trailblazers (14-3) played shorthanded Saturday, down two starters, with just 11 players in the program dressing the junior varsity and varsity contests. As a result, University’s starters played nearly every minute of the game — Andrus, Nickless and Tomlinson played all 40 minutes; Syrek played 39; sophomore forward Lilly Fair played 38.
Behind eight first-half points from Nickless and seven from Andrus, University staked its claim to an early lead, holding a 13-9 advantage that the Trailblazers stretched to a 23-11 lead early in the second quarter. From that point on, though, Lebanon chipped away at the University lead. The Tigers (5-11) had the advantage down to six at the half, 23-17, and just two at the end of the third quarter, 29-27.
Lebanon got its first lead since the opening minutes to start the fourth, taking a 30-29 lead, but University quickly answered to go back ahead. The Tigers would not hold the lead again until late, when junior guard Madison Wiery completed a four-point play to put Lebanon up 41-39 with 14 seconds left.
After calling a timeout, the Trailblazers broke the Lebanon press and got the ball down the floor to Brooke Andrus, who was fouled going up for a layup. Andrus hit both shots, the Trailblazers got a stop, and the game proceeded to overtime.
Lebanon senior forward Tori Harker put the host Tigers ahead early in the overtime period, 43-41, but the Trailblazers tied it back up when sophomore forward Lindsey Syrek scored. Andrus put University ahead 45-43 with two made free throws, but the Trailblazers couldn’t hold onto their advantage — Harker split two free throws to cut the lead to one, then freshman forward Ashlyn Terrill did the same, tying the game back up at 45-45. Again, University was forced to come up with a defensive stop to extend the game and converted, forcing a wild shot that was off the mark.
Like in the first overtime, Lebanon played from in front when Terrill laid it in to establish a 47-45 advantage, setting the stage for University’s run.Syrek finished just one block shy of a triple-double — scoring 19 and grabbing 17 boards in addition to the nine blocks — and Andrus finished with 18 points and six assists. Nickless was quiet in the second half until the second overtime, with her perfect 6-for-6 performance at the line capping a 14-point day. Tomlinson chipped in six, while Fair scored the outstanding point.
University will have a chance to rest up before its sternest test yet, a Thursday visit to 3A No. 8 Beech Grove.
