Jefferson Reporter

Maria Roters' layup with 3.3 seconds remaining in overtime gave the UAB women's basketball team an 83-81 victory over Valparaiso on Monday night.

The Blazers (3-0) battled back from an 11-point deficit in the 3rd quarter to remain perfect on the season.

Roters finished the night with a career-high 24 points and 11 rebounds. Denim DeShields scored 20 points including three 3-pointers and four assists. Margaret Whitley had 16 points and was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line.

Valpo (2-2) was led by Ali Saunders who scored a game-high 32 points along with eight rebounds. Leah Earnest had a double-double of 13 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

UAB took the lead before opening tipoff as the Beacons were given an administrative technical foul resulting in a UAB free throw. 

A 14-4 Valpo run gave them an early 17-11 lead with 3:23 to play in the 1st quarter. The Beacons would hold the lead until DeShields' 3-pointer at the midway point of the 2nd quarter made the score 29-27 in favor of UAB. However, the Blazers would only get one field goal the rest of quarter as Valpo closed out on a 9-1 run to take a 40-32 lead into halftime.

Maya Dunston's layup gave the Beacons their first double-figure lead at 44-34 with 8:35 to play in the 3rd quarter. The lead would get as many as 11 points – twice, the last coming with 5:24 left in the quarter. Maddie Walsh's 3-pointer at the buzzer cut the deficit to seven points at 55-48 heading into the 4th quarter.

Valpo was ahead 66-62 with 1:49 left in regulation when UAB got back-to-back baskets from Roters and DeShields to tie the contest with 34.6 seconds left. Earnest scored on the Beacons' next possession before Roters' driving layup with 2.8 seconds left sent the game into overtime at 68-68. 

UAB scored the first five points of the extra period and would extend the lead to seven points with 2:22 left on DeShields 3-ball. But Valpo came back to tie the game on Saunders layup with seven seconds left.

Whitley would take the in-bounds pass. Three dribbles later she found Roters for the game-winner on the left side.

"There was no quit in the team tonight," said head coach Randy Norton. "When it counted the most, we really put everything together."

The Blazers remain on the road to face George Mason and LSU on Nov. 25-26 in the Goombay Splash in Bimini, Bahamas. 

NOTES:

• Roters previous career-high was 22 points, twice as a member of Fairleigh Dickinson
• Lyndsey Robson scored her 700th career point
• This was the first overtime game for UAB since Jan. 1, 2022
• The Blazers improve to 12-5 against Missouri Valley Conference teams
• Valparaiso was in violation of Rule 1-19.4 prior to the start of the game

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Original source can be found here.