SHERMAN, Texas — In a game that came down to the slimmest of margins, the outcome was decided by the longest shot of the day with a half-court buzzer-beater to end the first half proving to be the difference in a 75-72 win for the Austin College Kangaroos.
The benefit of the two-game weekend series structure of this season is an opportunity to learn lessons from the first game and immediately apply them to the second.
Turnovers and offensive rebounds plagued Southwestern in the first game between the two teams, giving up 17 points off turnovers and 17 second-chance points. After surrendering 20 offensive rebounds in the first game, the Pirates limited the Kangaroos to just eight in the second, winning the rebounding battle 40-38.
Southwestern did it by switching its defense to a man-to-man with sound help principles. The move simplified rebounding assignments, giving everyone an opponent to be responsible for boxing out. The move was buttressed by the interior defensive play of starting center Reece Sandercock, who blocked four shots and altered many others while leading the team with nine defensive rebounds.
Offensively, the Pirates opened the game with some of the same issues, giving up four live-ball turnovers in the first quarter to spot Austin College an 18-9 lead after the first 10 minutes.
The Pirates' offense whirred into life in the second quarter, opening with a 3-pointer by Lauren Fulenwider on an assist from Noel Pratts. That sparked an incredible run for Fulenwider, who scored 11 points in the quarter on 4-for-6 shooting, including 3-for-5 from behind the 3-point line.
Southwestern appeared to be heading into the break with momentum, cutting their deficit to three on a jumper by Pratts, but Sarah Gwin answered with a half-court heave as time expired, putting the Kangaroos back up by six.
The defense stepped up in the third quarter, anchored by Sandercock's two blocks, holding Austin College to its lowest-scoring quarter of the game at 12 points on 6-for-18 (33.3 percent) shooting.
Fulenwider's gravity, which in basketball is the ability to attract defenders, opened space for Pratts, who showed more patience on offense, using her athleticism to get past her defender and then slowing down to read the backline of the defense, pulling up for mid-range jumpers and get to the free-throw line for nine points in the third to get the Pirates within one heading into the fourth quarter.
Southwestern and Austin College engaged in a shootout over the final 10 minutes. Fulenwider torched the nets with four 3-pointers on five attempts to score 12 points, and Ally Longaker controlling the paint with eight points on 3-for-5 shooting.
The Pirates tied the game 69-69 when Emily Edwards stole the ball, and Erin Toro found Fulenwider for a 3-pointer with 1:29 remaining.
Austin College scored four unanswered points on a Gwin jumper and a pair of Longaker free throws, but Fulenwider brought the Pirates back within one on a deep 3-pointer from Fulenwider with 35 seconds remaining.
The Pirates' ensuing defensive possession ended with a pair of Kacie West free throws with two seconds remaining, setting up a last-second attempt by Fulenwider, accounting for her only missed 3-pointer of the quarter.
Fulenwider led all scorers with 28 points on a blistering 8-for-14 shooting from long-range, creating all but one of them off her own dribble. Pratts added 17 with three assists and two steals, working her in-between game. Sandercock was an interior balance to Fulenwider's outside shooting, recording a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
West led Austin College with 20 points, proving to be an efficient, three-level scorer by hitting 2-for-4 from deep to go with a handful of pull-up jumpers, floaters, and layups to finish 7-for-10 from the field. Gwin finished with 19 points and three assists, with her lone 3-pointer coming from the half-court heave to end the first half. Longaker was solid in the middle with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists.
Austin College remains undefeated, dropping Southwestern to 0-4. The Pirates will travel to Colorado College (2-0) next weekend in a rematch of last year's SCAC Quarterfinals.