HIRAM, Ohio - February 9, 2022 – Down by eight at the end of the third quarter, Hiram women's basketball roared back to tie things up and eventually earn a thrilling, 75-73 overtime win over the Denison University Big Red on Wednesday inside Price Gymnasium.
 
Cici Bright scored the game's first bucket with her layup 25 seconds into the first quarter, as the Terriers opened an early lead on the Big Red. Bright added another bucket just over two minutes later before Denison got on the scoreboard on Maddie Goodman's jumper to cut Hiram's lead to 4-2.
 
The Terriers led by as many as five in the opening frame, 11-6 with 2:15 remaining in the quarter, before the Big Red went on a 5-0 run to end the quarter and tie things up at 11 after one.
 
Branch once again gave the Terrier leads with her jumper two minutes into the second frame, but a 6-0 Denison run gave the Big Red their first lead of the game.
 
Denison led by as many as eight in the second quarter, taking a 24-16 lead on Isa Contreras' layup with 1:32 left in the first half. But Bright added another bucket, one of a team-high seven first-half points for the senior, to cut the Big Red's lead down to six, 24-18, heading into the locker room.
 
Down six, Hiram quickly cut Denison's lead to start the second half, opening the third quarter with an 8-1 run and cutting the Big Red's lead to just one, 26-25, on Maddie Rakestraw's three-pointer a minute and 36 seconds into the period.
 
The Terriers took their first lead of the second half on Haley Thompson's fast-break layup with 7:17 left in the third, giving Hiram a 30-29 lead, but the Big Red would battle back, retaking the lead on Gabby Elliot's driving layup and extending their lead out to five, 37-32, with an 8-2 run.
 
Selena Vargas kept things close for a stretch, pulling Hiram within three with a pair of free throws, but Denison extended their lead to six and eventually eight, wrapping up the third quarter with an 8-4 run to take a 48-40 lead into the final frame.
 
The Big Red quickly extended their lead to double digits to start the fourth on Mikaila Carpenter's jumper, but the Terriers slowly made their way back.
 
Hiram cut Denison's lead to four on a pair of Rakestraw free throws with 8:31 to play, and to three, 53-50, on Vargas' turnaround jumper with 6:39 remaining.
 
The Big Red made it a seven-point lead, scoring five of the next six, but with a driving layup from Thompson and triple from Branch, Hiram pulled right back within a score.
 
Again though, Denison made it a six-point game, but again, the Terriers battled back, cutting the deficit in half with another three-pointer from Branch, pulling within two on Vargas' made free throw, and tying things up on a pair of free throws by Ella Dukarm with 50 seconds to play.
 
Neither team could score over the next 47 seconds until a loose ball foul sent Elliott to the line, where she went 1-for-2, giving Hiram a chance to tie or win with three seconds left.
 
Out of a timeout, Thompson drew a foul on a drive and hit her second of two free throws to send the game into overtime.
 
In total, Hiram outscored the Big Red, 25-17 in the fourth quarter, led by seven points from Thompson and six from Branch. The Terriers shot 53.8 percent from the floor while holding Denison to just 31.6 percent shooting.
 
Dukarm opened the overtime period with a driving layup and added another to make it a 69-65 Hiram lead, twice blowing by her defender.
 
A 6-0 run gave Denison a one-possession lead, but Bright converted an offensive rebound into a layup to tie the game at 71.
 
Ava Warcada drew a foul and knocked down two free throws at the other end to make it a 73-71 lead, but after a pair of empty possessions, Bright went to the foul line and tied the score at 73-all.
 
All tied at 73, Denison came up empty as Goodman missed a triple, and Branch drew a foul and hit both free throws to give Hiram the lead for good 75-73.
 
With a chance to tie, Hannah Wynn missed a jumper, and though Branch missed a potential fast-break layup on the other end, Wynn got the rebound without enough time on the clock to get a shot off, giving the Terriers the 75-73 victory.
 
Hiram moves to 7-14 (3-10 NCAC) with the win, while the Big Red dropped to 7-12 (5-7 NCAC) with the loss.
 
Four Terriers scored in double figures, led by Bright, who tallied a team-high 17 points and eight rebounds. Branch, Thompson and Vargas joined Bright in double figures with 15, 13 and 10 points apiece, while Vargas added eight rebounds.
 
Thompson also added a team-high six assists, while Branch notched five, and Vargas led the Terriers with four steals.
 
As a team, Hiram outscored the Big Red, 17-4 off turnovers and 34-28 in the paint. The overtime affair featured six ties and six lead changes, the last coming to give Hiram the lead for good in the extra period.
 
Hiram will look to keep things rolling on Senior Day on Saturday, Feb. 12 when they host the Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops inside Price Gymnasium at 2 p.m.