Topeka, Kan. – The Northwest Missouri State women's basketball team competed in its third straight overtime game against Washburn, this time falling just short by a score of 62-59.
 
Northwest is now 13-12 overall and 8-11 in MIAA play.
 
Neither team could find a rhythm offensively for the first seven minutes of the game with the score sitting at 5-3 in favor of Washburn. The teams started to knock down some shots in the final minutes of the first quarter as the Bearcats put up five late points and the Ichabods added six of their own. At the end of the first, Washburn led Northwest 11-8.
 
Northwest got things going in the second quarter as they opened it up with a 7-2 run to take a 15-13 lead. The 'Cats did not make another field goal in the rest of the half, but Emma Atwood did give the team two points at the free throw line with just under two minutes to play in the quarter. The Bearcats won the second quarter, 9-7.
 
At the halftime break, the Ichabods had an 18-17 lead over Northwest.
 
Molly Hartnett and Payton Kelderman were the only two Bearcats to make more than one field goal in the first half. Hartnett had seven points at the break and Kelderman had four. Emma Atwood and Kelsey Fields both grabbed 5 rebounds in the half.
 
In the first half, Northwest was 6-of-20 from the field and 1-of-7 from three-point range. The Bearcat defense was solid as they held Washburn to 6-of-32 from the field for 18.8% and allowed just one made three-pointer. Both squads secured 20 rebounds in the first half.
 
Peyton Kelderman came out of the half on fire as she knocked down back-to-back three-pointers from deep. Northwest took its first lead of the second half as Peyton Kelderman drove into the lane to draw the help defenders and found Caely Kesten wide open to knock down a three. The Bearcats led 28-27.
 
Northwest went on a 13-3 run in the final 5:46 of the third quarter as the 'Cats had their largest lead of the game at 36-30 heading into the fourth. Northwest shot 53.8% from the field in the quarter and shot 50.0% from beyond the arc. The Bearcats outscored the Ichabods 19-12 in the third.
 
In the fourth quarter, Northwest increased its lead to eight points with a pair of free throws from Molly Hartnett. Washburn then went on a 7-0 run to make it a one-point game at 38-37, Northwest. Ella Moody ended the Ichabod run with a layup with 6:42 to play in the game.
 
Washburn came right back to cut it back to a one-point game, but Jayna Green answered with a big three pointer to give Northwest a four-point lead with just under five minutes to go.
 
After a few buckets by both teams, the game was knotted up at 46-46 with 3:12 remaining.
 
Washburn connected on a pair of free throws to take its first lead since the 4:42 mark of the third quarter as they led 48-47. After a Northwest foul on a shot, the Ichabods were sent to the free throw line where they made both shots to increase their lead to 50-47.
 
Caely Kesten was left wide open at the three-point line once again and buried her third three of the night to tie it back up at 50-50, which is how regulation would go on to end.
 
For the third straight contest against Washburn, the game was sent to overtime.
 
In overtime the Bearcats did not make a field goal until there was 18 seconds remaining, but instead found their points at the free throw line. Washburn got out to a 56-51 lead in overtime, but Molly Hartnett cut it back to a one possession game with a pair of free throws. After Washburn extended the lead back to 58-53, Caely Kesten hit another three-pointer to put the score at 58-56 in favor of the Ichabods.
 
Northwest refused to give up with the score at 60-56 as Molly Hartnett sank her first three of the game with 11 seconds remaining to bring the 'Cats back to within one.
 
Northwest then fouled to put Washburn at the free throw line where the Ichabods made both shots and ended up with a 62-59 victory.
 
Molly Hartnett had a game-high 17 points, eight of which came at the free throw line. Caely Kesten posted a new career-high with 16 points on 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Peyton Kelderman added 10 points for the team. Emma Atwood tallied a new career-high with 14 rebounds in the contest.
 
Northwest shot 36.4% from beyond the arc and 32.1% from the field in the game. The Bearcats won the rebounding battle by one and had 21 more bench points than Washburn. Seven of Northwest's 12 made field goals in the second half and overtime combined came from beyond the three-point line.
 
The Bearcats head to Missouri Western Saturday, Feb. 18 to close out their regular season road trips. Tip is set for 1:30 p.m. inside the MWSU Fieldhouse.