Box Score READING, Pa. -- Stevenson women's basketball ran its winning streak to five with a 61-54 overtime victory, holding off Alvernia on Saturday in Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Commonwealth play.
Karleigh Leo dropped in a career-high 16 points, including a barrage of three-point baskets in the third quarter to help Stevenson (9-9, 6-5) secure a second-half lead. Olivia Coleman stuffed the stat sheet for the Mustangs with six points, 17 rebounds, three blocks, two assists and two steals. Meanwhile, Aysia Ferguson had 13 points for the Mustangs.
Stevenson locked down Alvernia (8-9, 2-8) on the defensive end most of the afternoon, but the Golden Wolves battled back in the final quarter to force overtime. Tamia Wessels paced Alvernia with 14 points as the hosts battled back with a 21-11 fourth quarter.
- Things were evenly played early on as Stevenson deployed its disruptive full-court press to slow the pace as both sides endured a quick scoreless stretch. Tied at six, Cathryn Kramer ran the floor for Alvernia and finished through contact at the 3:50 mark.
- Ferguson stuck a pull-up jumper in transition, knotting the score at eight as the Mustangs found the basket for the first time in several minutes. The Golden Wolves responded with consecutive buckets inside, increasing the lead to four at 12-8.
- Off an errant attempt for the Mustangs, the Golden Wolves expanded the margin with a transition hoop in short order. Morgan DeBeary canned a timely jumper in response before Kellie Johnson swiped the ensuing inbound and scored uncontested.
- Stevenson's press continued paying dividends, forcing a 10-second backcourt violation, while Morgan Pennick banked in a jumper from the left elbow moments later. The 7-0 spurt pushed the Mustangs in front.
- Turnovers plagued both sides out of an Alvernia timeout as the hosts took a narrow 16-15 lead. Stevenson answered on its next offensive possession as Pennick knocked down an open triple off a kickout feed from Olivia Coleman, marking the first three-point basket for either side at the 5:57 mark of the opening half.
- Leo drilled a straightaway triple off the bench, the first of two consecutive buckets for Leo as the Mustang lead swelled to 23-16 following an 8-0 push. Alvernia went cold from the floor despite some open looks.
- Maleah Smith converted the stickback for a 25-18 advantage, while the Golden Wolves slowly chipped away at the Stevenson lead at the charity stripe. Coleman continued asserting herself on the defensive end, posting her third rejection of the game with 1:35 left in the half as both sides went through another scoreless stretch.
- Leo notched a putback, the second offensive rebound of the possession for Stevenson, for a 27-20 lead heading into the intermission. Alvernia was limited without a basket over the final 2:49 of the frame.
- The Golden Wolves opened the half with a 6-0 burst, slicing the Stevenson lead to one at 27-26. Off a drive and dish, DeBeary notched a triple from the left wing for a 30-26 advantage.
- With up and down action after a timeout, scoring remained tough to come by. Leo splashed home a three, working the advantage to 33-26, before converting again from deep to increase the edge to double figures.
- Dropping in her fourth three-point bucket of the afternoon, Leo handed all the momentum to the Mustangs, which led 41-28 with 1:55 left in the quarter. From there, the Mustangs settled the pace toward the end of the quarter. The Golden Wolves forced a steal near the end of the frame, missing the layup inside with Stevenson taking. a 41-31 edge into the final stanza.
- All alone, Kayla Williams opened the scoring in the fourth for Alvernia, forcing a Stevenson timeout. The Mustangs missed several inside chances as Alvernia trimmed its deficit to 41-35.
- Kellie Johnson halted a 9-0 Alvernia run with a foul shot, working the lead back to five at 42-37. The Golden Wolves continued to outpace the Mustangs in the fourth quarter, as Coleman notched a turnaround hook shot.
- A mid-range jumper from Ferguson expanded the Stevenson lead to 48-41, attempting to hold off a charging Alvernia side. Taliyah Malone handed the Golden Wolves their first three-point basket with 2:53 remaining, but Laci Johnson converted a driving floater for a big response.
- Malone canned another three, this time with a hand in her face, bringing the Alvernia deficit to 50-49 with under one minute remaining. After drawing a foul near midcourt, Malone evened the score at 50 at the foul line.
- Coleman put the Mustangs ahead with a layup, but Karmonick notched a game-tying basket with 19 seconds left in the contest. Stevenson missed a jump shot out of a timeout with Alvernia pulling down the rebound with just about four seconds remaining. The Golden Wolves half-court heave would not fall as the game proceeded to overtime.
- Kellie Johnson pulled in an offensive board and converted inside for the first basket of the overtime session.
- A layup from a cutting Ferguson pushed the lead to 58-52 as the Mustangs clamped down on the defensive end.
- Stevenson struggled from the foul line in the extra session, keeping the score close at 58-52. Ferguson made one of two at the line with under 40 seconds remaining, extending the Stevenson lead to 59-54.
- Pennick canned a pair of foul shots as Stevenson continued expanding its lead to 61-54.
- Stevenson played its first overtime game of the season on Saturday. The last overtime game for the Mustangs came during the 2017-18 season.
- The Mustangs rattled off a 17-4 run over a six-minute span in the second quarter to move in front, forcing Alvernia into 10 turnovers in the quarter.
- Stevenson limited Alvernia to just 31 points through three quarters, picking up the defensive intensity once again in overtime.
- Stevenson had a big rebounding edge in the overtime frame, pulling down four offensive boards in the extra session.
- Alvernia outscored Stevenson, 21-11, during the fourth quarter to even the score at 52.
- Coleman has tallied 12 blocks over the past three games, accounting for six against Mary Washington, three against Hood and three against Alvernia.
- Leo provided a big spark off the bench for the Mustangs with a team-high seven points in the second quarter. The first half provided her second-highest scoring output of the season after posting 12 points in the season opener against Johns Hopkins.
- Stevenson struggled out of the gate, committing more turnovers (5) in the opening quarter than field goals (3). Ferguson led the charge early for the Mustangs, dropping in six of the first eight points in the opening stanza.
- Stevenson had the only two made three-point baskets in the first half as both sides combined to go 2-for-17 from deep in the initial 20 minutes.
- The Mustangs used a big fourth quarter to pull away for a 66-58 victory in the first meeting between the two sides back on December 4. This time it was Alvernia that dictated the final quarter of play.
- Stevenson: The Mustangs are back home, welcoming York (Pa.) on Wednesday, February 2 at 6:00 p.m.
- Alvernia: The Golden Wolves host Eastern on February 2 at 6:00 p.m.
