Box Score
DELAND, FL— Lacey Lyons hit two free throws with 7.1 seconds remaining to clinch a second half rally from 14 points down as Winthrop defeated Youngstown State, 50-46, Tuesday afternoon in the final game of the Hatter Classic on the campus of Stetson University.
Trailing by 45-32 with 13:39 remaining in the game, Winthrop turned up the heat offensively and took advantage of Youngstown State going cold. Winthrop came back to tie the game at 46-46 with 5:48 left on back-to-back threes from Dequesha McClanahan and Mary Hathaway.
After a miss by Youngstown State on the ensuing possession, Winthrop corralled the ball with five seconds difference in the game clock and shot clock. However, McClanahan turned the ball over trying to pass the ball to the wing and gave the Penguins life. Winthrop was up to the task defensively as Hathaway intercepted a pass and Youngstown State was forced to foul.
Winthrop (4-6) took its first lead since the 13:33 mark of the first half when McClanahan whipped in a no-look pass from the top of the key to Kaitlyn Rubino, who hit the six-footer for a 48-46 lead.
“Santa just gave us all a nice present, co-winning the Stetson Tournament,” said Winthrop head coach Bud Childers. “Man what a tremendous second half effort. We challenged them at half time to pick up the effort and we did. One team was going to play to surviving and one was going to play to win. We went on a 25-1 run to finish the game. McClanahan was clutch and Hathaway hit some monster threes. Chantel Johnson was tough in side and Rubino did a good job chasing their best scorer around. With such a young team 'only three players with two or more years' experience' we just get better and better.”
The Lady Eagles finished the game on an 18-1 run and held Youngstown State (2-9) without a field goal over the final 13:42 of the game. The Penguins finished the game missing their final 23 shots and committing five turnovers. Winthrop held Youngstown State to just 12 points in the second half, a school record low for an opponent in the second half.
Ashley Cox scored seven straight points to help Winthrop jump out to a 10-6 lead early. However, turnovers and a couple of threes allowed Youngstown State to outscore the Lady Eagles 14-4 over the next four minutes. McClanahan hit a three with 8:17 remaining in the first half, but then the Lady Eagles stumbled. The Penguins took full advantage and put together an 11-0 run that started with a Tieara Jones basket. After Kenya Middlebrooks hit a free throw, the Penguins got back-to-back treys by Macey Nortey and Middlebrooks for a 29-17 lead.
McClanahan ended the scoring drought at nearly seven minutes as she drained her second three of the game with 1:48 to cut the lead down to 11 points. Hathaway scored inside on nice move for an easy lay-in, pulling Winthrop within nine, but Maryum Jekins hit a three-pointer with six seconds left in the half. The Lady Eagles inbounded the ball quickly and McClanahan let got a half court shot that went right through the hoop for her third trey of the half and cutting the lead to single digits heading into halftime.
The Penguins were 11-for-22 in the first half, the first time this season an opponent has shot 50 percent or better against the Lady Eagles in the first half and just the second time in any half. Winthrop shot 47 percent from the floor, but committed 11 turnovers that led to 18 points for Youngstown State.
McClanahan led Winthrop with 17 points and seven assists while Cox and Hathaway each had 11 points. Hathaway also had a career-high eight rebounds and tied a career-high three steals.
Winthrop finished the game shooting 56 percent from behind the arc as McClanahan was 4-for-6 and Hathaway was 3-for-5. McClanahan was named to the All-Tournament team for her two-day performance.
Stetson and Winthrop won both Monday and Tuesday and are co-champions of the Hatter Classic. It's the second time Winthrop has finished first in a holiday tournament since becoming a member of the NCAA Division I level. In 2007, Winthrop captured the Lady Pirate Invitational at East Carolina.
Winthrop will be off for the Christmas holiday and will return to action on Tuesday, Dec. 28 at 7 p.m. against Southern Wesleyan at the Winthrop Coliseum. The Lady Eagles will also host Colorado State at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 30.
