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ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – No. 6 Lewis women's basketball pulled out a 56-49 overtime victory on Saturday (Feb. 20) afternoon over Saint Joseph's at Neil Carey Arena. The Flyers are one win short of finishing the season undefeated in conference play. The win clinches the No. 1 seed in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament for the Flyers.

Saturday's contest was one of the closest of the year for a team that had led for 80 percent of the total minutes on the season. 

The Flyers opened the game with an 11-4 lead after making four of their first five field goal attempts. The Pumas pushed back and thanks to an 8-0 run went up 24-21 at halftime.
 
Junior Alyssa Siwek (Palos Heights, Ill./Mother McAuley) made a 3-pointer to tie the game at 33 with 3:23 remaining in the third quarter. Saint Joseph's followed with a 7-0 run to take their largest lead of the game. The game wouldn't be tied again until a layup by senior Mariyah Brawner-Henley (Skokie, Ill./Niles North) with 40 seconds left to knot the game at 48. Her basket, along with a traditional 3-point play by freshman Jessica Kelliher (Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha North) a little over a minute earlier, helped erase a five-point Saint Joseph's lead in the final three minutes.

Lewis had a chance to win the game in regulation but turned it over with five seconds remaining. A jumper by Saint Joseph's Courtney Kvachoff at the buzzer on the other end could have won it for the Pumas, but it was off the mark.

It was all Lewis in the overtime session, out-scoring the Pumas 8-1. Combined with the final five points of regulation, Lewis' quick six points in the overtime period gave the Flyers an 11-0 run to put the game away. The Flyers made all six free throw attempts in the extra session.

"I'm so proud of this team's fight," Lewis head coach Kristen Gillespie said. "This group responded when it mattered the most. I thought our bench was very vocal keeping everyone up and focused. Total team win today."

Kelliher finished with 21 points and eight rebounds. She was 7-of-11 from both the floor and the line. Brawner-Henley totaled her 69^th career double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds with four blocks and an assist. Some of the biggest points of the game came from Siwek. Each of her three 3-pointers came with the Flyers trailing. 

"Alyssa had some huge shots today," Gillespie said.

Saint Joseph's big contributor was Kalea Parks. She had 32 points on 13-of-27 shooting.

Saturday was Lewis' first overtime contest since Feb. 20, 2014 when the Flyers topped UIS 82-77.

Lewis honored seniors Brawner-Henley, Alyssa Dengler (Chicago, Ill./Trinity), Jessie Tennant (Algonquin, Ill./Jacobs) and Sophie Lichte (Reedsburg, Wis./Reedsburg) before the game during 'Senior Day' festivities.

"That group, along with Jamie (Johnson) and Alex (Poole), have been so important to this program," Gillespie said. "I'm so happy to see them get the win on Senior Day."

Saint Joseph's falls to 18-9 (11-6 GLVC). Lewis improves to 26-1 (17-0 GLVC). The Flyers have now won 21 consecutive games. Lewis can finish the GLVC slate undefeated with a win on Thursday (Feb. 25) vs. UW-Parkside in a 5:30 p.m. tip at Neil Carey Arena. Only two teams in the history of the league have ever finished the season undefeated in conference play.