DENVER Senior Alisha Godette (Colorado Springs, Colo.) scored six of Denver’s final nine points, including the final four of regulation, as the Pioneer women’s basketball team dropped Troy 77-76 in overtime Thursday evening in Magness Arena.

 

“I thought Alisha was clutch for us at the end of the game and in overtime,” head coach Pam Tanner said. “She not only scored but got a critical rebound and made a great pass to Celena Otero for her three. We had almost six players in double-figures; we played well together offensively tonight.”

 

DU (8-14, 3-8 SBC) trailed by five with 2:24 remaining in regulation after Amy Lewis hit consecutive free throws. Godette came up with a steal that led to junior Nnenna Akotaobi (Thornton, Colo.) getting sent to the line with 1:46 remaining. Akotaobi connected on both free throws and closed the gap to three points, 66-63.

 

Troy’s Kyle Morrissy hit a jumper to push the Trojans (10-13, 3-9 SBC) lead back to five points with 1:26 remaining. Godette fed junior Celena Otero (Aurora, Colo.) for a three from the corner with 1:01 remaining to chop the Trojans’ lead to two. Lewis hit a short jumper in the paint to give Troy a four point lead.

 

With 31 seconds remaining in the second half, Godette hit a layup. Eighteen seconds later, with 13 seconds remaining and Denver down by two, Godette hit a layup to knot the game at 70-70. Morrissy missed a layup as time expired to send the game to overtime.

 

In overtime, Otero hit a fast break jumper after a turnover by Troy to give DU its first lead since 8:53 in the first half. Akotaobi hit the front end of a one-and-one and Morrissy pulled to within one with a layup. Godette hit a jumper to give DU a three point lead at 75-72. Morrissy recorded another layup to get the Trojans within one.

 

Senior Brooke Meyer (Denver, Colo.) hit both free throws to give Denver a three point lead with 27 seconds remaining. Morrissy hit her third layup of overtime to get the Trojans within one but two missed layups by the Trojans and a Pioneer rebound as time expired clinched the win.

 

Denver led by as many as five points early in the game but an 8-0 run by the Trojans put Denver down three. Denver trailed 36-31 at half. The Pioneers battled in the second half but found themselves down by as many as 10 points. Denver would get within two points of the Trojans’ lead twice before Godette’s late game heroics.

 

Godette led all Pioneers with 15, as well as seven rebounds. Junior Sara Bents (Billings, Mont.) had 14 points, eight rebounds and three blocks on the night. Senior Sara Benham (Muleshoe, Texas) had 13 points, while Akotaobi and Otero added 11 apiece.

 

Denver shot 47.4 percent (27-for-57) in the game and led the Trojans in rebounds 40-to-35.

 

Morrissy was the game’s leading scorer with 21 points.

 

DU returns to action on Sunday, Feb. 10 to face Louisiana-Lafayette at 3 p.m. in Magness Arena.