MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris women's basketball team dropped a 74-71 overtime decision on Tuesday night against the University of Northwestern. The Eagles improve to 12-5 (7-1 UMAC) with the win, while the Cougars fall to 8-11 (5-3 UMAC).

The first half found Minnesota Morris having to play catch-up throughout, though Northwestern was never able to open up very much of a cushion. The Eagles scored the first four points of the contest and didn't trail in the opening 20 minutes, though the Cougars did come back to knot the score on three occasions. The last of those three came at 25-25 on a layup from Malory Anderson, but Northwestern followed that with a 9-2 burst that was somewhat alleviated by a Jadyn Sondrol triple at the buzzer, sending the game to halftime at 34-30.

Sondrol canned another three midway through the third quarter to tie the game up at 35-35. Northwestern retook the lead with five straight points, but a 7-0 run capped by a three-point play from Lexus Eagle Chasing gave Minnesota Morris its first lead of the night with 2:20 left in the quarter, 42-40. A late push from the Eagles put them back in front, 50-45, going to the fourth.

The lead changed hands multiple times in the early portion of the fourth quarter until a 7-0 run from the Eagles gave them a 63-57 advantage approaching two minutes remaining. In short order, Sondrol sliced the deficit in half on a three-ball and a long jumper from Eagle Chasing made it a one-point game. Following a score from Northwestern, a well-executed inbounds play from the Cougars freed up Eagle Chasing for a straightaway three that she swished in to tie the game at 65-65. The UMN Morris defense held on the other end to force the game to an extra session.

Following a brief lead for Minnesota Morris on a pair of free throws from Sondrol at the start of overtime, Northwestern retook the lead with five straight points. A Haley Wollschlager bucket got the Cougars back within one, but the Eagles then rattled off four in a row to take a 74-69 edge. In the final minute of the game, Ella Van Kempen made a pair at the line to once again make it a one-possession game and the Cougars got the stop they needed to get the ball back with a chance to tie. On the final possession of the night, Minnesota Morris was unable to free up one of its shooters and a desperation heave from Eagle Chasing at the buzzer was no good.

Sondrol finished the night with 21 points, while Eagle Chasing finished with 15 points and six assists. Wollschlager had a game-high seven assists. The Cougars received nine points from Justine Day and eight points and eight boards from Anderson off the bench. 

In a schedule quirk due to this game being rescheduled from December, the Cougars and Eagles will meet again on Friday, this time in St. Paul. Tip-off at UNW is set for 5:30 p.m.