LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- UND trailed by five points in the final minute, but somehow found a way to win.
The Sioux downed Texas A&M-Commerce 86-78 in overtime Sunday in the Division II Disney Tip-Off Classic. The Sioux improved to 3-0 and now have won six straight games at the Disney tournament as they swept all three of their games in Florida last season.
Kelsey Maffin led the Sioux with 26 points, while Carissa Jahner added 16. Danye Guinn and Whitney Ledger each contributed 10 points.
Maffin was named the Most Outstanding Player in the Group Energy division of the tournament.
UND trailed 70-65 with 1:06 to play in regulation. Karla Beck scored on a layup with 34 seconds left and she added two free throws with 31 seconds remaining to cut the Lions' lead to 70-69.
ADVERTISEMENT
Texas A&M-Commerce was then assessed a technical foul with 26 seconds to play after Kanani Marshall called a timeout. The Lions did not have any timeouts remaining, resulting in the technical foul. Maffin made one of two free throws to tie the game at 70. Overtime resulted when the Lions' Britney Jordan missed a shot in the final seconds of regulation.
In overtime, the Sioux took the lead for good on two Ledger free throws with 3:46 to play.
UND led 18-9 early but the Lions used a 26-10 run to lead 42-38 at halftime. The Sioux opened the second half with a 15-9 run for a 53-49 advantage. However, neither team could gain much of an advantage the rest of the way.
The Sioux shot 43 percent, while the Lions connected on 46 percent. A big advantage came in turnovers. The Sioux scored 28 points off of 21 Texas A&M-Commerce turnovers. The Sioux committed only 13 turnovers.
Texas A&M-Commerce dropped to 2-1. The Lions have been picked to win the Lone Star Conference North Division title this season. Marshall is the division's preseason player of the year.
The Sioux placed three players on the all-tournament team. Besides Maffin, Guinn and Kierah Kimbrough also were named to the team.
Jordan scored 19 points to lead Texas A&M-Commerce. She was one of five Lions in double figures.
UND again played without junior center Ashley Langen, who injured her ankle in the team's first game of the tournament.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Sioux are off until Nov. 17 when they will play in a tournament in Billings, Mont.
