Box Score Box Score

ROCK HILL, SC— Winthrop rallied from an eight-point deficit in the second half, but couldn't hold on as it fell 74-72 to Stetson in a wild finish the game Sunday afternoon in the final game of the Winthrop Classic.
Victoria McGowan got to the basket for a lay-up with five seconds left that proved to be the game-winning shot for Stetson, which improves to 4-1 on the year.
“I think clearly it could have gone either way,” said Winthrop head coach Marlene Stollings. “We had our chances. In that kind of a game and in it down the stretch with a minute to go that's all you can really ask for is to put yourself in a position to have a chance at it. I felt like a couple of different moments we had that opportunity. I'm very proud of our kids. I thought they hung in there, battled and fought. Played very competitive and hard down the stretch. Third game in three days and you couldn't ask for a lot more than to come down and get the victory.”
After Winthrop tied the game at 72-72, Stetson got the ball up the court and called timeout. Off the inbound pass, McGowan took the ball and dribbled right. The defense opened up, exposing the lane for a minute and she shot down the lane quickly for the game-winning lay-up. McGowan finished the game with 15 points, five assists and three steals to earn Most Valuable Player honors for the Winthrop Classic.
Winthrop trailed by eight points with just under seven minutes remaining in the game after McGowan drilled a three to end a 9-2 run that put gave Stetson a 64-56 lead. After Winthrop pulled within a point, Sasha Sims drained a three followed by another three from Ashley Dennis.
The Lady Eagles responded with a 10-3 run to pull within one point after Dequesha McClanahan scored going to the basket and was fouled in the act of shooting. McClanahan made the free throw coming out of a media timeout to complete the three-point play.
Back-and-forth the game continued to go as McClanahan dished off a pass to Samiya Wright baseline, who drilled the jumper with 1:46 remaining. After a miss by the Hatters on the other end, Wright drove the lane and was fouled as she hit both free throws to put Winthrop up 70-69 with 1:10 left. It was the first lead for Winthrop since the 1:32 mark of the first half.
McGowan missed a jumper in the lane for the lead and McClanahan worked the clock down for Winthrop and then found Kaitlyn Rubino for a six-foot jumper. However, the jumper was off glass and short on the rim and Sims pulled down a big rebound. The Hatters called a timeout and McGowan penetrated down the right side of the lane and as the defense swarmed to her, she dished off the ball to Burris for an easy two and a 72-70 lead.
Stetson then chose to foul McClananan as she came up the court and she knocked down both two tie the game with 12 seconds left. After McGowan's lay-up with five seconds left, Winthrop got the ball to midcourt and called time out. Winthrop started to run its play when Sanders was called for an off-the-ball foul, sending Diana Choibekova to the foul line with a chance to tie the game with a one-and-one. Choibekova's first attempt bounced off the right side of the rim and Sanders collected the miss as time expired.
The Lady Eagles started strong and built a couple of seven point leads in the first half, the last one at the 10:55 mark after Taylor Calvert scored off a nice feed from McClanahan. At that point Stetson started to knock down several threes as Sanders started it off as she answered Calvert's lay-up with a triple on the next possession. The Hatters continued to fight back and took a 36-33 lead at the break.
Stetson finished the game with 12 three-pointers (12-for-29), which was one less than half its total field goals. The Hatters finished the game shooting 41 percent from the field and scored 14 points off 14 Winthrop turnovers.
The Lady Eagles shot the ball well for the game, finishing at 48 percent and were 10-for-14 at the foul line.
McClanahan led all scorers with a career-high 29 points as she also dished out nine assists. Choibekova added 12 points on 4-for-11 shooting while Katie Fitzgerald and Wright each had 10 points.
Sanders led Stetson with 22 points while Jazmin Garcia had 17 points off the bench.
McGowan was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Burris and Winthrop's Choibekova and McClanahan. Bradley's Katie Yohn was also named to the team.
Winthrop will hit the road for its next contest as it will travel to Wichita, KS to take on Wichita State Wednesday, Nov. 23 at 8:05 p.m. (EST).