CEDAR CITY, Utah, Jan. 23 - Challis Pascucci hit six straight free throws, blocked a shot and got a crucial rebound in the final minute of the second overtime to help lift Southern Utah to a 70-61 Summit League win in women's basketball Saturday night.

            Pascucci, who had 11 points at halftime but scored just two in the second half, finished with a career-high 23 points and nine rebounds to lead SUU.

            Southern Utah squandered a 17-point halftime lead as the Leathernecks held them to 25 percent shooting in the second half in coming back and forcing overtime.

            The Thunderbirds scored the first eight points of the game and held WIU without a basket until Michele Salvatori hit a 3-pointer with 14:32 to go in the first half. SUU then went on a 13-2 run to push its advantage to 21-5 and led by as many as 21 points, 30-9 with 2:01 to go, before Western Illinois scored the last four points of the half to pull within 30-13 at halftime.

            The 30-13 Thunderbird edge at halftime was SUU's first lead at the break all season.

            Pascucci scored 11 points in 13 minutes in the first half, while Dani Hosking came off the bench to hit a pair of 3-pointers for six first-half points.

            The Thunderbirds hit 12-of-29 first half shots (.414) while limiting Western Illinois to 4-of-25 shooting in the period (16.0 percent).

            Western Illinois turned the tables on the Thunderbirds in the second half, however, as Jordon O'Brien scored 13 of her game-high 25 points in the period, then kept the Leathernecks in the game in overtime, adding eight more before fouling out in the final seconds of the second extra period.

            After their poor first half Western Illinois hit 13-of-26 shots in the second half to tie the game at 47-47 at the end of regulation and force overtime.

            In the first overtime both teams scored 12 points but in the second the Thunderbirds out-scored the Leathernecks 11-2, with all 11 coming from the free throw line, to claim the win.

            "It was a tale of two halves," SUU Coach JR Payne said. "It's kind of been the story of our year, we play with confidence, hit shots, play good defense in the first half but in the second half we can't keep that intensity. It was almost like we were sucker-punched [in the second half]. We quit looking to attack, we weren't as aggressive on defense, we just were a whole different team.

            "Fortunately we got it going again in overtime," Payne added. "We've been a good free throw shooting team all year long and even though we missed a few we were able to knock them down in the last minute when we really needed them."

            Cassie Burgess, who had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation but her shot came up just short, finished with 14 points and six rebounds for SUU, while Caitlyn Sears had 12 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Thunderbirds. SUU out-rebounded WIU 52-40 and blocked five shots, two by Pascucci.

             Southern Utah improved to 5-14 overall and 3-5 in Summit League play with the win while WIU dipped to 6-13 overall and 2-6 in conference play.

-- SUU --