Bryson City – Wednesday the Lady Devils mounted an improbable comeback to stun visiting Owen 67-66 in overtime.
Swain trailed by double digits heading into the 4th quarter. Offensively the Devils could not buy a bucket over the first three quarters, tallying only 31 points, and trailing 45-31. But the fourth quarter saw the Devils offense come to life, in large part thanks to a swarming defense, as they scored 28 points and tied the game to force overtime.
It was a lay-in by sophomore center Carley Teesateskie with time expiring that tied the game and forced overtime.
With under 10 seconds remaining in overtime Owen missed a free throw with the score 66-65 in their favor. Marlee Hicks grabbed the rebound and raced up court where she found a wide open Emily Stargell, who nailed a short jump shot with 2.7 seconds left to put Swain up 67-66 and cap the comeback. It was a fitting end as Stargell, Hicks and Triniti Littlejohn provided a swarming trapping defense that forced Owen into numerous turnovers leading to easy baskets for Swain.
Teesateskie finished with a team high 18 points to go with 8 rebounds before fouling out early in overtime. Hicks added 17 points, including 3 crucial 3-point field goals in the second half, as well as 8 steals and 6 assists. Littlejohn finished with 9 points and 6 steals.