TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Dec. 2) - Western Carolina's Raziyah Farrington sank the second of two free throws with 1.8 seconds left in overtime to lift her team past Florida A&M, 62-61 in a Women's Basketball thriller in The Al Lawson Center Friday night.
FAMU junior Florence Ouattara put the Rattler Women (1-6) ahead, 61-59 with 28 seconds left with an old fashioned three-point play, hitting a free throw after being fouled on a made jumper.
WCU's Kyla Hough sank two free throws with 16 seconds left, tying the game at 61-61, but Ouattara missed a potential game-winning jumper for FAMU with five seconds left, forcing the Rattlers to foul, leading to Farrington's game winning charity toss.
Friday's game was tightly contested throughout, as Western Carolina (3-6) led just 13-12 at the end of the first period, and 28-26 at the half,
FAMU outpaced the visiting Catamounts with a 16-11 third period surge to barge ahead, 42-39, but WCU took the final stanza of regulation, 13-10 to force the extra frame.
A Tess Harris three-pointer with 1:54 left in regulation staked Western to a four-point lead at 52-48, but FAMU's Dawn King hit a layup with 57 seconds to play to slice the WCU edge to 52-50.
FAMU junior Shakerrya Morrison's jumper off an offensive rebound with five seconds left in regulation knotted the count at 52-52, forcing overtime.
In the extra frame, Western threatened to run away from FAMU, surging ahead by as much as seven points, 59-52 on a jumper by Sherae Bonner with 2:01 left.
But FAMU dug deep and rallied once more, getting started on Dawn King's three-pointer with 1:48 left, making the count, 59-55, then Jamella Smith sank a jumper with 1:18 left to pull the Rattlers within two points, 59-57.
Ouattara made the second of two free throws with 45 seconds left, drawing FAMU within one at 59-58, before her more traditional three-point play with 28 seconds left put FAMU ahead, 61-59 with 28 ticks left.
Ouattara led FAMU with 14 points and six rebounds, followed by Dawn King with 12 points, and Shakerrya Morrison's double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Western's Raziyah Farrington was their lone player to score in double figures, finishing with a game-high 17 points.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR FAMU: Final exams will put basketball on hold for the Rattler Women until Sunday, Dec. 11, when they host Morehead (Ky.) State in The Al Lawson Center. Tip time will be 4:00 p.m.
