Lady Tigers win thriller in overtime

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Lyndonville’s Ella Lewis puts up a shot against Alexander defender Madison Boyce during the Lady Tigers overtime win over the visiting Lady Trojans this evening.

In an overtime thriller, Lyndonville outlasted visiting Alexander 65-61 in a Genesee Region League girls basketball game this evening.

Lyndonville sent the contest into overtime in dramatic fashion as Ella Lewis hit a jumper with just two seconds to go to knot the contest at 56-56.

Keeping the momentum, the Lady Tigers then outpointed the Lady Trojans 9-4 in the four minute overtime period to claim the narrow win.

Alexander did take a 58-56 lead at the outset of the overtime period on a pair of free throws by Natalie Whitmore.

However, Lyndonville answered with a key 6-0 run on a layup by Lorelei Dillenbeck, three by Addison Dillenbeck and a free throw by Lewis to regain the lead for good at 62-58 with 50 seconds remaining.

Alexander did slice the deficit to one at 62-61 on a layup by Whitmore but the Lady Trojans could not regain the lead.

The Lady Tigers finally put a lock on the win on one free throw by Addison Dillenbeck with 25 seconds to go and then two free throws by Lewis after she was fouled  on a steal at the 20 second mark.

Lewis finished with 24 to lead Lyndonville as Addison Dillenbeck and Lorelei Dillenbeck both had 14, Karlee Rounds 8, Haley Shaffer 3 and Ashlee Stephens 2.

Whitmore took game high honors for Alexander with 27 as Melanie Pohl had 11 and Alyssa Kramer 9.

Alexander jumped out to leads of 17-9 after one period and 23-18 at the half as Whitmore scored 11 and Pohl 6 during that stretch.

However, Lyndonville came battling back with a big 23-14 third period scoring edge to rally into a 41-37 lead heading into the final quarter.

A 13-4 scoring burst at the outset ignited the key quarter. Lewis scored 9, including a layup off a steal, to spearhead the surge which rallied the Lady Tigers into a 31-27 lead.

Two layups by Lorelei Dillenbeck, along with a three by Rounds and a three point play by Lewis, then helped keep the Lady Tigers up by four, 41-37, heading into the fourth quarter.

There were five ties and two lead changes in the hectic final period.

Alexander moved out to a 54-50 lead with 1:15 remaining sparked by a three by Riley Powell and a jumper by Whitmore.

However, Lyndonville rallied back into a 54-54 tie on a free throw by Rounds and then a three by Lewis with 17 seconds remaining.

Alexander answered right back with a jumper by Whitmore to regain a 56-54 lead with 10 seconds remaining.

That set the stage for Lewis’ clutch jumper with two seconds to go to retie the contest at 56-56 forcing overtime.

Improving to 8-1, Lyndonville next hosts 9-1 Kendall at 7 p.m. Friday.

Kendall 43, RAC 13
Libby Snyder scored 12, Alezya Brown 8, Kailie Regan 5, Emma Allen, Julia Szczepanski and Julie Coble 4 each and Mary Jones, Taigan Guerrero and Lauren Pilon 2 each to lead Kendall to the 43-13 non league win over visiting Rochester Academy Charter.

Snyder also had 10 rebounds and 6 blocks and Regan 8 rebounds.

Lyndonville’s Karlee Rounds puts up a shot as Sam Kabel (40) and Natalie Whitmore (22) defend for Alexander.