Rockhurst recap
Mary Barton hit three free throws with 2.7 seconds left in overtime to push the Maryville women's basketball team past Rockhurst 81-80 Saturday afternoon in Kansas City, Mo. With the Saints down by two, Barton drew a foul while shooting a 3-pointer on the right side. One of the best free throw shooters in the nation calmly sank all three for the game-winning points. Rockhurst's shot at the buzzer hit the front of the rim and bounced away.
 
What Happened
The Saints reeled off 10 straight points to establish early control. Abby Monis sparked the run with two free throws, and Jayda Jansen scored a bucket. Mary Barton drilled consecutive 3-pointers for a 15-5 lead. Rockhurst made two free throws but the Saints tacked on a 9-0 run. Monis scored inside and Hunter Stidham drained a triple. Barton knocked down her third 3-pointer of the quarter, and a Karlee Feldman free throw pushed the advantage to 22-8. The Saints limited the Hawks to only five points in the second quarter and without a point over the final 5:42. Maryville tallied the last eight points to grab a 37-15 lead at halftime.
 
Rockhurst inched closer in the third quarter and got as close as 11 points. The Saints used a 10-2 run to rebuild their cushion to 50-31. Maryville took a 56-36 margin into the fourth quarter. The Hawks mounted another run and hit three straight 3-pointers. Barton and Feldman tallied for the Saints for a 62-47 lead with six minutes to play. However, the Hawks rallied and tied the game on a 3-pointer with 31.5 seconds to play. Both teams missed in the waning seconds as the game moved into overtime.
 
Rockhurst opened overtime with a 3-pointer but neither team scored for nearly three minutes. Monis grabbed an offensive rebound, and her putback pulled the Saints to 74-73 with 2:04 left. The Hawks hit three straight free throws before Barton answered with two at the line with 33.5 remaining for a 77-75 deficit. At the 17.1 second mark, Rockhurst sank two more free throws for a 79-75 lead. Stidham drained a 3-pointer from the right wing to bring the Saints to 79-78 with 10.5 ticks left. The Hawks made one free throw but Barton drew a foul on a 3-pointer with 2.7 seconds left. The senior calmly sank all three at the line for the 81-80 lead and the game-winning points.
 
Barton hit nine of 17 shots en route to her 29 points and dished out seven assists. Monis had her second straight double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Jansen sank five 3-pointers and finished with 19 points. Stidham chipped in 15 points and five rebounds. The Saints drilled 11 3-pointers in the contest.
 
Statistical Leaders
Points: Mary Barton – 29
Rebounds: Abby Monis – 12
Assists: Mary Barton – 7
Steals: four players – 2
Blocked Shots: Abby Monis – 2
3-Pointers: Jayda Jansen – 5
 
Records
Maryville: 11-6, 6-4 GLVC
Rockhurst: 9-9, 3-7 GLVC
 
What's Next?
The Saints stay on the road and head to Southwest Baptist Thursday, Jan. 30, in Bolivar, Mo.