The Big Green women's basketball team fell in triple overtime to the University of Vermont, 82-77, in the consolation game of the TD Banknorth Classic held in Burlington, Vt. on Sunday.
After 55 minutes of play, the Catamounts (2-1, 0-0 America East) defeated a clearly fatigued Big Green team (0-4, 0-0 Ivy), which was still recovering from an overtime loss to Michigan State University on Saturday.
"The Michigan State game gave us an idea of the potential team we can become this year," co-captain Koren Schram '09 said. "Going out there and almost winning against a very good Big Ten school is something to be very proud of, and I think we will keep building on what we accomplished this weekend."
Brittney Smith '11 led the Big Green with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Co-captain Darcy Rose '09 also had a double-double, with 15 points and 16 rebounds. Betsy Williams '10 and Schram chipped in with 17 and 11 points, respectively.
May Kotsopoulos led the way for the Catamounts with 24 points. Courtney Pilypairtis contributed with 21 points, and Amy Rosenkrantz had 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The game was evenly played throughout, with multiple lead changes. Dartmouth went into halftime down, 24-21, as the Catamounts shot 41.7 percent from 3-point range. The Catamounts hit 13 3-pointers on the night to the Big Green's five.The Catamounts increased their halftime lead to eight points, the largest of the game, with 5:26 left in the second half. Dartmouth was able to recover, however, going on a 6-0 run to cut the Vermont lead to a basket at 53-51.
Vermont maintained its two-point advantage until Smith tied the game from the foul line with a pair of free throws. The Catamounts regained the lead, until Smith tied the game again with two seconds left on the clock to send the game to overtime.
For most of the first overtime, the Big Green looked like it would pull away, win the game and take third place in the tournament.
Dartmouth built a 63-59 lead, its largest of the game, early in the extra frame. The Big Green played defensively for the rest of the period, but Vermont eventually cut the lead to a single point with 1:53 left.
Rose restored a three-point advantage for the Big Green with just 17 ticks left, but Vermont's Tonya Young hit a clutch 3-pointer at the other end of the court to tie the game at 65 with nine seconds left. Dartmouth could not get a final shot off, and the teams headed into a second extra period.
The second overtime was a back and forth affair as neither team was able to control the game. Schram gave Dartmouth a 69-68 lead on a four-point play with three minutes remaining.
After Kotsopoulos answered for Vermont with a long-range effort, Williams scored four straight giving Dartmouth a 73-71 lead with a minute and a half left. Sy Janousek hit a last gasp effort for the Catamounts to send the game into a third overtime.
Vermont did not need any last-second heroics in the third extra period, pulling ahead early and never looking back. The Big Green could not keep up as the Catamounts seemed better rested and better able to cope with the extended game. As the final five minutes ticked away, the Catamounts maintained a five-point lead, which ended up being the final difference, as the Big Green fell, 82-77.
"Vermont is a very good team that was picked to win the American East conference this year," Schram said. "They like to push the ball and score in transition. We did a very good job limiting their fast break opportunities and making it a half-court game, which is why I believe we were able to hold them for three overtimes."
In the late game on Sunday, Michigan State, who defeated the Big Green in overtime on Saturday, demolished Quinnipiac University, 81-48, en route to the tournament championship.
Schram was named to the all-tournament team along with Vermont's Amy Rosencrantz, Quinnipiac's Erin Kerner and Michigan State's Aisha Jefferson and Kalisha Keane, who was named the tournament's most outstanding player.
Schram finished the tournament with 35 points on 10 of 28 shooting and was seven of 19 from 3-point range.
Dartmouth's plays next on Friday, Nov. 28 when it faces the University of Delaware in Newark, Del., at 7 p.m.
