Last second 3 lifts Warriors

The scoreboard says it all--ESU defeats Millersville 49-48. Photo Credit / Ronald Hanaki
The scoreboard says it all--ESU defeats Millersville 49-48.  Photo Credit / Ronald Hanaki
The scoreboard says it all–ESU defeats Millersville 49-48.
Photo Credit / Ronald Hanaki

BY RONALD HANAKI

SC Staff Writer

When Millersville guard Sabina Mehmedovic scored on a layup to put the Marauders up 48-46 over the Warriors with 17.3 seconds left, it looked like the season was over for ESU. Yet, the Warriors never quit.

On the next possession, ESU forward Jessica Martin found guard Ryann Fiascki on the wing who hit a dramatic game-winning 3-point basket with 1.9 seconds left to beat Millersville 49-48 and stun the home crowd at Pucillo Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon. After the game, Fiascki was mobbed by her teammates.

With less than two seconds left, Millersville wasn’t able to get off a shot on its final possession, and ESU advanced to the quarterfinals of the PSAC Women’s Basketball Tournament where they will play Bloomsburg on Tuesday night, March 4. It’s officially March Madness.

The first round game had ESU jumping out to an early 16-6 lead in the first half, but Millersville showed its grit by battling back to tie the game at 26 with 1:43 left before halftime. The Warriors would then reassert themselves and head into the locker room at recess with a one-shot lead at 30-28.

Neither team was able to dominate the second half. At various points in the game, the score was tied at 30, 39, 42, and 44.

With the score tied 44-44, ESU center Michelle Boggs scored on a scoop shot to put ESU ahead 46-44 with 4:15 left.

The next few possessions were helter skelter until Millersville’s Carly Gallagher scored on a layup to tie the game once again at 46-46 with 1:21 left in the game.

On the ensuing possession, ESU freshman Madison Tamburini missed her 3-point shot that led to a 30-second Millersville timeout with 40.1 left.

The timeout enabled Millersville coach Mary Fleig to draw up a play that saw Millersville guard Carly Gallagher pass the ball to a cutting Sabina Mehmedovic who scored on a layup to put the Marauders ahead, 48-46, with 17.3 seconds left. That led to the final game-winning 3-point shot by ESU’s Fiascki.

ESU guards Ryann Fiascki and Halie Cintron led the scoring with 11 points and 10 points, respectively. ESU center Michelle Boggs grabbed 7 boards, and guard Helena Gemmell nabbed 6 boards to lead the Warriors in rebounds.

Millersville was led in scoring by guards Carly Gallagher’s 15 and Celeste Robinson’s 11.

In the second half, ESU was going in the direction of a boisterous cheering section behind the backboard led by a group of crazy Millersville fans. The fans’ loud jeering of the Warriors clearly affected ESU’s foul shooting as the Warriors went 4-10 from the foul line in the second half.

ESU goes on the road to play PSAC top seed Bloomsburg University in a quarterfinal game on Tuesday, March 4 at 7 PM at Bloomsburg’s Nelson Field House.

Email Ronald at:

rhanaki@live.esu.edu