March 15, 2007

JACKSON, Tenn. - Third-seeded Southern Nazarene University (Okla.) rallied from a 17-point deficit with just over 13 minutes remaining to tie the game in regulation before edging sixth-seeded Loyola University of New Orleans (La.) 78-77 in overtime in the first round at the 27th Annual NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Championship at Oman Arena.

Trailing 53-36 with 13:11 remaining in regulation, Southern Nazarene used three straight Brittni Brown free throws to cut the lead to 14, and the Crimson Storm kept pace with Loyola over the next five minutes. With less than seven minutes to play and Loyola leading 64-50, Khady Ngom and Kinzie Glover combined to score the next 10 points for Southern Nazarene, cutting the lead to 64-60 with 4:46 left. Southern Nazarene twice closed the gap to just a single point before Lashelle Chandler tied it up at 70-70 with a minute and a half left with her only three-pointer of the contest. Both teams missed field goal opportunities during regulation to send the game to overtime.

Dani Holland's three-pointer from the top of the circle took a high bounce and dropped through on Loyola's opening overtime possession, but Southern Nazarene answered with four straight to regain the lead at 74-73 with 2:39 to play in overtime. The teams traded the lead twice in the next two minutes with a basket each before Trenell Smith tied it one final time at 76-76 with 24 seconds left by sinking one-of-two free throws. With 13 seconds left, Ngom found Chandler open underneath the basket from the high post, and Chandler sank the layup to give Southern Nazarene a 78-76 lead. Smith was fouled with seven seconds left, and she missed the front end of the double bonus free throws before sinking the second to cut the lead to 78-77. Loyola fouled on the inbounds play, but Southern Nazarene couldn't convert the front end of the one-and-one, and Smith drove the length of the floor into the key before the ball was knocked loose as time expired.

Ngom finished with team-highs of 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Tejana Elmore and Glover each tallied 11 points for Southern Nazarene.

Loyola was led by Holland's 20-point, eight-rebound performance, one of five Loyola players to reach double figures in scoring. Trenese Smith finished with 17 points, and Trenell Smith added 14 points for the Wolfpack.

With the win, Southern Nazarene improves to 28-5 overall and will face the winner of tonight's Point Loma Nazarene/Westminster matchup in second-round action tomorrow night at 9:45 p.m. Loyola finishes the season with a 25-9 record.