Ivanovic Sparks Late Rally as Women's Basketball Pulls Out Win Over LMU

SALISBURY, NC -- Host Catawba rallied in the final minute to steal an 88-85 win from Lincoln Memorial in South Atlantic Conference women’s basketball action on Wednesday night at Goodman Gym.  The Catawba Indians improve to 11-6 overall and 4-2 in the SAC, while the Lady Railsplitters fall to 4-12 and 2-5.  The win by Catawba overshadowed a conference scoring mark for LMU’s Dayshalee Salaman (Carolina, PUERTO RICO), who scored 44 points.

Milica Ivanovic (Belgrade, SERBIA/Sports High/Bethel) scored the final seven points as the Lady Indians rallied from an 85-81 deficit in the final 40 seconds.  Ivanovic connected on a three-pointer after a LMU turnover with 34 seconds to go then added two free throws with 31 seconds left following another turnover.  Ivanovic then blocked a three-point try by Amberly O’Dell (Argos, IN) with eight seconds left and added two more free throws with 6.7 seconds remaining.  A final three-point try by Salaman rimmed in and out at the buzzer.

Ivanovic led Catawba with 28 points to help overcome a sizzling night for Lincoln Memorial from behind the arc.  The Lady Splitters were 12-of-20 from long range.  Ivanovic was 5-for-9 from three-point range, while Dana Hicks (York, SC/Gaston Day) and Nisha Long (Dallas, NC/Gaston Day) each scored 20 points for the Lady Indians.  Hicks grabbed a career-equaling 16 rebounds to post her fourth straight double-double.

Salaman was the star of the game as she scored the 44 points on 15-of-22 shooting.  She was 4-of-6 from long range and added 10-of-11 at the line.  Carolyn Mills (Nashville, TN) followed with 19 points, canning a trio from behind the arc, and O’Dell tallied 15 points on five three-pointers.

Catawba got out to a big lead in the opening half.  LMU’s first five baskets were three-pointers, but after pulling within 19-15 on the final one, the Lady Indians ran off an 11-0 spurt for a 30-15 lead with 7:59 to go in the half.  The Lady Railsplitters pulled within 39-36 at the break.

The Lady Indians stayed in front until Salaman hit a layup at the 12:19 mark to give LMU a 55-54 lead.  O’Dell hit consecutive three-pointers to give the visitors a 61-58 edge with 11:06 to go.  Catawba responded with a 13-5 run that included two three-pointers from Ivanovic to lead 71-66 at the 7:48 mark.

Salaman took over from there.  She scored 12 straight LMU points and put the Lady Railsplitters up 78-77 with 4:21 remaining.  Two free throws from Mills had Lincoln Memorial on top 85-79 with 1:56 remaining before Catawba’s late rally.

LMU shot 53% from the field for the game to just 40.5% for Catawba, but the Lady Indians controlled the glass by a 43-33 margin.  Catawba pulled down 19 offensive rebounds to three for LMU and had 14 second-chance points to just one for LMU.  The Lady Indians also held a +9 advantage in turnover margin.

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