The Gustavus women’s basketball team lost to Maryville 68-64 in overtime on Saturday afternoon in the third place game of the Surf and Slam Tournament hosted by Point Loma University in San Diego, California. Maryville sent the game into overtime with a three-point basket with 1:33 left in regulation and then controlled the overtime leading by as many as eight points. Jess Vadnais led Gustavus with 12 points.
The game was close through the entire first half with neither team holding a lead of bigger than five points. Brittany Holm hit a jumper with :08 left in the first half and the Gusties trailed at the intermission 30-28.
Maryville scored the first five points of the second half to lead by seven at 35-28. The Gusties then went on a 9-1 run to take a 37-36 lead with 13:56 left in regulation play. A 7-0 run later in the half, gave Gustavus an eight point lead at 49-41 with 5:51 left on the clock. Maryville countered with a 10-3 run to cut the Gustavus lead to one at 52-51 with 2:06 left. Jess Vadnais made two free throws with 1:45 left to give the Gusties a 54-51 lead. Sara Wemlinger tied the score at 54-54 with a three-point basket at the 1:33 mark. Neither team could score the rest of the way and the game went to overtime.
Maryville outscored Gustavus 10-2 in the first three-and-a-half minutes of the overtime to take an eight point lead at 64-56. The Gusties battled back to within four at 65-61 with one minute left, however that is as close as Gustavus would get and Maryville claimed third place honors with a 68-64 victory.
Four players reached double figures for the Gusties including Jess Vadnais with 12, Emily Nelson and Brianna Radtke with 11 each, and Molly Mathiowetz with 10.
Gustavus played three very strong opponents in the Surf and Slam Tournament opening with a 65-60 win over #24 UW-Eau Claire (8-2), followed by a 65-64 loss to #23 Carroll College (6-2), and then finishing with the loss to Maryville (4-3). The Gusties, who are now 4-3 on the season, will face St. Catherine in a conference matchup on Saturday, January 5 in St. Paul, Minn.