Fayetteville, N.C. – The 2018-19 women's basketball season is afoot with Fayetteville State's home-opener tonight against Coker College in Capel Arena. Tonight's game was a stunner with the Broncos (2-1 overall) defeating the Cobras (1-3) 61-59 at the overtime buzzer.
"It was about just grinding it out," said Head Coach
Serena King-Coleman. "We were able to with big shots from Brittany [Drumgoole] and different players."
Brittany Drumgoole, a senior transfer from South Carolina State, led the Broncos with 18 points and five assists. She was 6-of-14 from the field (42.9%) and 2-of-4 from beyond 3-point land (50%).
After the Broncos missed two opportunities in the final moments of regulation, Drumgoole nailed a four-point play with a made contested three-pointer with three seconds left in overtime and a 60-57 lead. Although Drumgoole was fouled on the play, the excitement of the made basketball led to a few fans and a player rushing the floor to celebrate. Shay Jackson hit both technical foul free throws (59-60) before Drumgoole made her bonus shot. Time would expire before the Cobras could get a shot off.
"I got to make it," said Drumgoole about the final made shot. "Regardless of whether I miss it or not … I can pick myself up and go on to the next day. They were depending on me, so I had to step up and take the big shot."
Fayetteville State had plans on the game coming down to the last moments.
"It has to be expected for every team that we play," said Coach King-Coleman. "When you are picked fourth [in the CIAA] there is a target on your back. We played them tough last year [with a 56-51 lost in Hartsville, SC], so their confidence level was up."
Fayetteville State jumped to an early 11-7 lead at the end of the first period and held on to lead 27-24 at halftime. The Broncos hit a dry spell with a lid over the basket in the third period. FSU scored nine points to the Cobras 16 with 3-of-13 field goals made. Down 40-36 after three periods, Fayetteville State was able to tie the score at 46 with 2:03 left in regulation.
A fast-break layup by
Aminata Johnson, who finished a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds, gave FSU a 48-46 lead with 1:43 left. Following a Cobra timeout with 33 seconds left, Erin Houser made a layup that would tie the game at 48 with 17 seconds left. That is when the Broncos missed two shots under the basket before the end of regulation.
In the overtime period, Coker extended a lead of four points (53-49) with 1:24 left on the clock. Two free throws by Shantel Bennet (6 points total) cut the lead to 53-51.
Chantel Williams made two of her six points to tie the game at 53 with 52 seconds left.
After the tied 55-55 mark, Drumgoole hit back-to-back free throws for a 57-55 lead with 23 seconds left but a layup by Aloni McFarland erased that advantage with 14 seconds remaining. Those series of plays set up the big shot that sent Capel Arena into pandemonium.
Houser led the Cobras and the game with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Shay Jackson followed with ten points and ten rebounds.
Fayetteville State will travel to Salisbury, N.C. on Saturday for a non-conference matchup with Catawba College.
