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FAYETTE, Iowa - The Lewis women's basketball team hit six late free throws to escape with a 90-86 double overtime in-region victory over host Upper Iowa on Friday evening at the Dorman Gymnasium. The game featured 79 combined free throw attempts.

The win is the Flyers' first of the season and improves the Flyers to 1-2. The Peacocks fall to 0-2 on the year.

The Flyers fell behind 6-0 and 23-17 before taking their first sustained lead of the game at 27-26 on a 3-point play by junior Sam Rinehart (Marion,Iowa/Marion) at the 2:06 mark in the first half. The Flyers held a 31-28 lead into the break.

Upper Iowa came within three with less than three minutes to play after a 13-5 run late in the second half. A Madeline Kish (Oak Forest, Ill./Sandburg/Eastern Illinois) free throw extended the lead to four before a couple of Peacock free throws narrowed the lead to two a 65-63 with one minute to play.

A Kish layup pushed the lead to four but Upper Iowa responded with a pair of free throws after a Rinehart foul. Junior Labrenthia Murdock (Round Lake, Ill., Round Lake) hit a 1-of-2 free throws with 11 seconds left to make the lead to three before Laura Terhark knocked down a three-pointer with two seconds left in regulation to force overtime.

Freshman Jamie Johnson (South Holland, Ill./Marian Catholic) hit three free throws to open up the first overtime period followed by a layup by Jess Reinhart (Normal, Ill./Bloomington Central Catholic) and a free throw bucket by Nikki Nellen (New Berlin, Wis./Pius XI).

Reinhart drove to the basket for two with 32 seconds left. A bucket by Upper Iowa and free throw by Kish gave Lewis a 76-74 advantage before Upper Iowa's Jennifer Herrick knocked down a jumper with three seconds left in the first overtime to tie the ball game.   

The second overtime opened up with two Terhark free throws to give the Peacocks a 78-76 advantage. Kish responded with a three-point play after being fouled to give Lewis a one point lead.

Both squads traded points and battled at the free throw line down the stretch. A pair of Reinhart free throws notted things up at 86-all with 55 seconds remaining. Free throws by Johnson and Rinehart with less than 30 seconds to go in overtime number two sealed the win for the Flyers.   

Reinhart finished with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds.

"Jess was solid at both ends and stepped up in some tough situations," head coach Lisa Carlsen said.

Sophomore Alexus Grayer (Washington, Ill./Washington) (Washington, Ill./Washington) added a career-high 18 points. She made her first eight shots of the contest. Kish finished with 17 points. Johnson had 14 points.

"Some of the younger players had key possessions tonight," Carlsen said. "They never gave up and kept fighting."

Lewis made 26-of-37 free throws. Upper Iowa connected on 29-of-42 attempts.

The Flyers will now travel to Honolulu, Hawaii next week for a pair of games against BYU-Hawaii on Thanksgiving afternoon at 1 PM (HST) and Northeastern State on Friday.