SALEM, Va. --- Both teams enjoyed leads, both teams made comebacks, and both teams thought they had the game won on Sunday evening in the Salem Civic Center. But it was Washington and Lee University that hoisted a trophy at the end of an instant classic with the Generals earning an 89-80 overtime victory over the Hornets to claim the ODAC women's basketball title.
As the ODAC champion, nationally 11th/21st ranked Washington and Lee earns one of 42 automatic bids into the Division III Women's Basketball Championship. The Hornets and other conference programs must wait until Monday to learn if they earned one of 22 at-large selections to the field of 64 teams. The selection show will be shown on ncaa.com at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Generals star forward Mary Schleusner, who added tournament MOP honors to ODAC Player and Defensive Player of the Year laurels, capped arguably the greatest individual tournament in conference history with quite possibly the best game in a tournament setting. Schleusner poured in 36 points on 15-of-34 shooting. The 36 points are the second-most in single-game in tournament history, while the 15 field goal are the most made by any player in a tournament game. Schleusner pulled down 29 rebounds, which breaks the OVERALL conference record of 28 boards set by Randolph-Macon College's Katie Anderson in 2016.
Schleusner's single-tournament totals top the ODAC record books as well. Her 80 total points and 71 total rebounds are the most for one player in a tournament, while her 33 field goals made are second-most in conference postseason history.
Fellow All-Tournament honoree Hanna Malik finished with 28 points, seven rebounds, and two assists against SU. She nailed five three-pointers, all coming in consecutive fashion in the first half. Sarah Zimmerman posted nine points, nine rebounds, and two blocked shots, while Quinn McGuinness -- WLU's third All-Tournament Team honoree -- went for eight points and four assists.
Terese Greene and Maddie Kimble led Shenandoah's charge in the second half, earning them All-Tournament Team positions. Greene dropped in 30 points powered by a 10-of-12 showing from the foul line. Kimble finished with 21 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Gabby Krystowiak added nine points, five rebounds, and two blocked shots. Shawnise Campbell posted eight points, nine boards, three blocked shots, and two steals.
It was Shenandoah that enjoyed early success with SU going ahead by as many as six points in the first quarter. But Washington and Lee righted the ship in the second frame to lead by 16 at one point before taking a 43-31 advantage into the break.
The Hornets owned the third quarter, out-scoring Washington and Lee, 24-13, in the period to trail by just one entering the fourth quarter. SU took its first lead since the first quarter at 57-56, kicking off a lengthy stretch of back-and-forth play.
Washington and Lee seemed to have put enough distance between itself and Shenandoah to win in regulation at 69-61 with 3:07 to go, but the Hornets stormed back to tie the score at 70-all with 1:00 to play. It was Shenandoah that enjoyed a four-point advantage after two free throws by Kimble with 0:11 to play, but a bucket by Zimmerman and one free throw by Greene set up Schleusner for a game-tying three-pointer at 75-75 as the regulation buzzer sounded. A replay review confirmed the ball left her hand before the backboard lit up.
The extra frame proved to be all WLU with the Generals opening the period on an 11-1 run to take an 86-76 lead with 2:32 to play. They parlayed a few traded possessions into an eventual 89-80 victory.
Washington and Lee has now won two straight championships and three overall, each since 2010. Sunday's contest was just the fifth ODAC championship game to go to overtime and the first since 2011.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
- Terese Greene, SU
- Maddie Kimble, SU
- Quinn McGuinness, WLU
- Hanna Malik, WLU
- Mary Schleusner, WLU (MOP)