HAVERFORD, Pa. - McDaniel rallied from a 12-point deficit with 5 minutes, 52 seconds remaining to force overtime and then defeated Haverford 69-63 in Centennial Conference action on Saturday.
Emma Wingerd led the Green Terror (15-5, 10-4 Centennial) with her sixth double-double of the season, notching 15 points and 15 rebounds. Lindsey Nichols added a career-best 18 points while Steph Perez canned four more 3-pointers as part of an 18-point performance. For Perez, she now has 49 3-pointers on the season, moving into fourth place on the all-time single-season list.
McDaniel's magic number to clinch its first playoff berth since winning the title in 2010 is one.
Shannon Smith netted 14 points to lead the Fords (17-3, 11-3), who fell back to second place with the loss, one half-game behind Johns Hopkins.
Trailing 50-38 on a Rachel Baskin layup with 5:52 to play, Allie Eader hit the first of two free throws and Codi McMaster sank two from the charity stripe to close the deficit to nine with 5:07 showing.
A McMaster steal-and-layup four seconds later trimmed the margin to seven before a Cara Wyant putback stretched the lead back to nine.
Nichols then scored nine straight Green Terror points to close the deficit to 56-52 with 2:20 to play.
Baskets from Perez and Nichols in the final 48 seconds of regulation forced overtime.
Wingerd answered two Elizabeth Lynch free throws to keep the game tied 1:45 into the extra session.
Smith hit one free throw to give the hosts a 59-58 edge with 2:54 showing but Nichols hit both of her free-throw attempts at the other end for a one-point advantage the other way.
A Nichols layup with 1:05 to play pushed the lead to three before Wingerd, Brittney Davis, Stephanie Fish, McMaster and Perez all went 1 for 2 from the charity stripe. The defense, however, held Haverford to 2-for-5 shooting in the final minute.
Wingerd went 2-for-2 in the final second to set the final margin.
A 3-pointer from Perez and a Wingerd jumper staked McDaniel to a 12-8 lead with 14:03 showing before Nina Voith hit a triple of her own to spark a 10-0 run over the game's next nearly three minutes.
A Perez 3-pointer knotted the game at 22-all but Wyant responded with a trey of her own and the Fords pushed the lead back out to six en route to a 31-27 advantage at the break.
After an Eader 3-pointer made it a 39-35 game with 11:46 to play, Smith tallied five straight points to stretch the lead to nine 39 seconds later.
McMaster added seven points and six rebounds while Davis chipped in seven boards as part of a 52-44 advantage on the glass.
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The Green Terror return to action at Dickinson on Wednesday at 6.
