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HANCOCK -- Katie Lundeen and Mariah Austin combined for 54 points Saturday afternoon to lead the Finlandia Lions women’s basketball team to an 85-78 overtime win over Adrian College.
Lundeen, a freshman from Maple, Wisconsin, poured in a career-high 34 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Austin, a freshman from Ishpeming, was good for 20 points and 10 boards.
"Tremendous game by Katie (Lundeen). She did the kinds of things we knew she could," Lions’ coach Mariah LaPointe-Dunham said after her team’s fourth win in a row. "And Mariah (Austin) was also very good today.
"We had a lot of people step up in this game .... a lot of big plays were made in a well-played game."
Adrian, a MIAA member making its first-ever appearance at Paavo Nurmi Center, appeared to have the game won with a 70-68 lead with under 15 seconds left in regulation.
But Lundeen got inside for the tying basket with nine seconds left. She was fouled on the play, but missed the free throw.
Bulldogs’ coach Kathy Morris said her team had no answer for Lundeen.
"She was able to get inside on our defense whenever she wanted to," Morris said. "She made the difference in the game."
Lundeen was good on 12 of 21 from the floor and converted 10-of-11 trips to the free throw line.
Austin supplied plenty of help in the second half and the extra session by scoring 15 of her points.
After playing a see-saw first two quarters, the locals fell behind by a 32-23 margin late in the half. But they clawed to within 31-30 at the intermission as Taylor Pertile and Molly Berg nailed key baskets.
Finlandia took the lead early in the second and seemed to be in charge with five-point advantage with under 1:10 left.
That was when Adrian ace Ashley Morris took over. Morris boosted her team into the aforementioned 70-68 lead.
"She (Morris) was tough," LaPointe-Dunham noted.
"She’s a great player who does everything well."
After falling behind 73-70 to begin the overtime, the Lions assumed control behind Lundeen and Austin, who tallied 13 of the 15 Finlandia points in the extra session.
"Two of our freshmen with double-doubles," the Finlandia skipper said. "That’s a great sign for the program."
Toria Nagy drew the praise of her coach for seven points, eight rebounds and three steals.
Berg and Pertile (Hancock) combined for 12 points and seven assists.
Morris led 5-11 Adrian with 25 points and 12 boards. Rachel Bucher added 14 points and 11 rebounds.
The Lions will travel to Wisconsin-Superior on Monday.
ADRIAN COLLEGE -- Bucher 14, Somerville 10, Morris 25, Graves 9, Kondrath 6, Caldwell 9, Bergman 4, Campbell 3. FG: 20-69; FT: 14-27; Rebounds: 46 (Morris 12); Fouls: 23; Fouled out: None; 3-point FG: Morris 3, Somerville 2, Campbell 1.
FINLANDIA -- Berg 6, Froberg 5, Lundeen 34, Pertile 6, Nagy 7, Austin 20, Makela 1, Taylor 4; FG: 28-77; FT: 23-27; Rebounds: Lundeen and Austin 10; Fouls: 21; Fouled out: Berg; 3-point FG: Austin 3, Berg 2, Pertile 2.
Adrian 31 70 78
Finlandia 30 70 85