HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana women's basketball team closed out its 2018-19 home schedule with a heartbreaking 60-56 double overtime loss to Northwestern State on Saturday afternoon at the University Center.
 
The Lady Lions (9-18, 4-12 Southland) lost their sixth straight contest. Northwestern State (10-17, 5-11 Southland) kept their postseason hopes alive by completing the series sweep of SLU. With Saturday's results around the Southland Conference, the Lady Lions have been eliminated from postseason contention.
 
Prior to the game, Southeastern honored seniors Jaclyn Scholvin, Ashailee Brailey, Kyla Williams and Rhomyia Tate, as well as student athletic trainer Kelsey Felton. The senior student-athletes all played in their final game on the UC court on Saturday.
 
Southeastern's Charliee Dugas scored 24 points to lead all scorers and was joined in double figures by Brailey, who netted 13 points in her final home game. Kyla Williams chipped in with a game-high 12 rebounds to close out her career in Hammond, while Dugas and Tyler Morrison each grabbed eight boards. Morrison, making her return to the lineup after missing the last four games, dished out a team-high four assists.
 
NSU's Libba Gilliam scored all of her team-high 15 points in the second half and overtime, while teammate Nautica Grant chipped in with 11 points. Victoria Miller narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and 12 rebounds, while RaVon Nero came through with nine points and a game-high four assists.
 
Southeastern held NSU to two field goals in the opening half and held a 23-14 lead, but the Lady Demons doubled up SLU, 16-8, in the third quarter to go into the final period down, 31-30.
 
Neither team scored for the first three-plus minutes of the fourth quarter, until Gilliam gave NSU its first lead since the opening possession of the game with a layup. Over the next five minutes, the lead would change hands seven times, until Gilliam tied the game with a baseline jumper with 1:44 left.
 
On the ensuing possession, Morrison found Brailey open from three-point range to give SLU a 47-44 advantage. Gilliam quickly answered with a three of her own to tie the game with a minute left.
 
Dugas drove into traffic and missed a contested shot to give NSU a chance to win it in regulation. Grant got a good look from the paint, but it rimmed out to force overtime.
 
In the overtime period, Dugas was fouled by Miller with 2.3 seconds left and the Lady Lions down by one, 51-50. The Rayne, Louisiana native sank one of two to force a second overtime, marking the second straight year SLU has participated in a double overtime contest. Last Feb. 3, Southeastern beat UCA, 78-70, in a game that needed two extra periods.
 
Northwestern State scored the first five points of the second overtime, but Brailey hit a three and a pair of free throws to tie the score with 13.2 seconds remaining. Nero gave the Lady Demons the lead with a tough shot in the lane with 2.3 seconds left.
 
On the final possession, Grant stepped in front of a Morrison pass and was fouled. Grant iced the game with a pair of free throws with less than a second left.
 
Southeastern will close out the season with a pair of in-state Southland road contests. SLU will be at New Orleans on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. contest. Live video, audio and stats, provided by UNO, for Wednesday's contest will be accessible on the women's basketball schedule page at www.LionSports.net.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Women's Basketball, follow @SoutheasternWBB on Twitter, like /SoutheasternWBB on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics has instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events, effective with the start of the 2018 football season. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/clear.