UTICA, N.Y. -- A six-point lead evaporated in the last six seconds of regulation and the Ridgewater College Lady Warriors went on to lose in overtime to Madison (Wis.) Area Tech Saturday, 75-69.
The victory earned the Wolfpack (32-2) the third-place trophy at the NJCAA Division III women's basketball tournament hosted by Mohawk Valley Community College.
Top-seeded Monroe College (36-0) of the Bronx, N.Y., easily won the championship game, belting No. 3 Mohawk (33-1) 100-70. The Lady Mustangs beat Ridgewater in the semifinals, 70-61, Monroe's only close game here.
Ridgewater officially received fifth-place to go with a sixth place in 2001 and a third place in 2000.
The Lady Warriors led 63-57 after a Jamie Munson scored off a pass from Katie Johnson with 16 seconds left.
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The Wolfpack took 10 seconds to set up a shot by 6-3 Erin Voelker, who drained her only three-point attempt of the game to cut the Ridgewater lead to 63-60. Madison fouled with four seconds left, but Ridgewater missed both free throws. Voelker speared the rebound on the second. Guard Lauren Lanza threw up a three-point prayer that went in as the buzzer sounded, tying the score 63-63.
"It was our game and we gave it away," said Ridgewater coach Carrie Ogdahl. "It was all free throws. Even when we were up three, I thought we had it. If we would have made one more free throw we would have won."
In the five-minute overtime, Ridgewater forged a two-point lead at 69-67 on a Munson free throw, but the Wolfpack would shut then out the last 1:39, while making six-of-eight free throws around a field goal from Voelker, who finished with a game-high 25 points.
Ridgewater's downfall was an 11-for-25 day at the free-throw stripe and 25 turnovers.
Munson led the Lady Warriors with 16 points, followed by Kayla Karnes with 15 and Sarah Primus 13. Leading scorer Terra Billiet was held to four points but grabbed 13 rebounds. Primus added 12 rebounds.
Ridgewater, which led 33-31 at halftime, finished 21-9.
Madison Area Tech 75, Willmar 69
Ridgewater (21-9) .............33 30 6 -- 69
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Madison Tech (32-2) .........31 32 12 -- 75
RIDGEWATER - 27-68 FG (4-14 3 pt); 11-25 FT; 57 rebounds; 25 fouls ... Scoring: Kayla Karnes 6-12 0-2 15, Ashley Olson 3-5 0-0 6, Jamie Munson 6-14 3-5 16, Melissa Sterkel 3-9 3-7 9, Sarah Primus 5-11 3-4 13, Amy Ballard 0-0 1-2 1, Katie Johnson 2-7 1-4 5, Terra Billiet 2-10 0-1 4 ... 3-point shots: Karnes 3-8, Munson 1-4 ... Rebound leader: Billiet 13, Primus 12, Sterkel 8, Munson 5 Johnson 4, Karnes 3 ... Assist leader: Karnes 7, Munson 4, Johnson 4 ... Steal leader: Billiet 3, Sterkel 2
MADISON (WIS) AREA TECH - 27-66 FG (4-13 3 pt); 17-24 FT; 37 rebounds; 22 fouls ... Scoring: Lauren Lanza 4-14 6-8 15, Missie Karls 3-4 0-0 6, Erin Blasco 2-2 2-2 7, Kim Joshua 3-8 3-6 9, Stacey Schrandt 1-4 2-2 5, Erin Voelker 10-22 4-5 25, Kara Schrandt 1-3 0-1 2, Cassie Paulsen 3-9 0-0 6 ... 3-point shots: Voelker 1-1, Lanza 1-6, Blasco 1-1, Schrandt 1-2 ... Rebound leader: Voelker 8x ... Assist leader: Lanza 5 ... Steal leader: Lanza 4, Blasco 4
