Bryce Frank had a career night and Austin College came from behind to pull out a 70-67 overtime victory over Texas Lutheran to improve to 3-0 in SCAC play on Saturday night. The 'Roos are now 9-4 overall this season.
Frank scored a career-high 28 points and added 10 rebounds, four assists, and two steals to lift the 'Roos to victory and Kali Vittallo chipped in 13 points to lead the 'Roos to the win, which snapped a 16-game home winning streak against SCAC competition for Texas Lutheran. For the second straight game, the 'Roos found themselves in a hole after the first quarter only to turn around and win each of the next three, and Austin College seemed poised to win in regulation when Olivia Bailey hit two free throws to make it 60-57 with 27 seconds left.
Austin College had fought back and claimed the lead on a Vittallo three pointer that made it 58-55 with 1:18 left, but TLU's Adelaide Wenzel scored five points in the final 28 seconds, including a game-tying three pointer with 10 seconds left to force the extra frame.
In overtime, TLU scored the first five points to take a 65-60 lead with 2:54 left to play. Kendall Heitmeier hit a pair of free throws and Frank made a layup to get the 'Roos to within one, and after two more free throws from the Bulldogs, Vittallo scored to cut the margin to 67-66 with 1:16 left. After putting the 'Roos ahead in the closing moments in regulation, Bailey once again came up big with a three point play with 28 seconds left to give Austin College a 69-67 lead, and this time they'd hang on after a Frank free throw gave the 'Roos a 70-67 cusion with five seconds to play.
Frank hit 11-of-23 shots to get her career-best point total, and Vittallo hit 5-of-14 shots to join her in double-digits. Heitmeier and Bailey each chipped in nine points, and Bailey pulled down a career-best 11 rebounds in the victory.