CALIFORNIA, Pa. — It took two overtimes, Rhyan Mitchell's game-tying layup with two seconds remaining in the first overtime period and a second consecutive double-double from Bryn Zentner, but Millersville managed to down Slippery Rock 62-59 Saturday afternoon.
 
Mitchell's layup was just another clutch shot in the Marauders' recent history, joining Kali March's game-tying three in the final seconds yesterday against California (Pa.) and Makiah Shaw's go-ahead jumper with 16 seconds to play on Nov. 18 against Goldey-Beacom. Millersville head coach Kira Mowen drew up the play in the prior timeout and her team executed it to perfection, as the sophomore found herself nearly wide open as time expired.
 
"It was a time-out, draw-up play," Mowen said of the clutch basket. "I've used it multiple times in my career, and I'm just happy that with 2.2 seconds, they executed it perfectly and it worked out."
 
Mitchell also helped ice the game for Millersville, going 1-of-2 from the line to put the Marauders up three with eight seconds left in the second overtime.
 
Zentner led all scorers with a career-high 18 points while pulling down 10 rebounds and procuring two steals. The freshman was the driving force for the Marauder offense in the second half, attacking the basket and forcing the issue. She had 14 of her 18 points after halftime and six during a five minute stretch at the end of the third; Millersville had scored 20 points to that point, and she contributed to eight of the team's 10 points during the third quarter's final five minutes.
 
"I always knew she had it in her, but it's a matter of confidence," Mowen said of her rookie forward. "Every freshman in the country knows through their ups and downs and their rides on the rollercoaster.  Obviously, we're hoping that there are no more downs for her. She's doing a great job, she works hard in practice, and it's about time something positive happened for her."
 
If not for Mitchell's heroics, turnovers may have been the story of the game. The Marauders were one short of a season-high with 21 giveaways and committed a couple crucial ones in the final minute of the first overtime period. Those turnovers combined with an especially poor shooting performance by both teams (Millersville shot 16.7% from the field to Slippery Rock's 20.7% at halftime) led to an 18-17 advantage for the hosts at the game's midway point. Fatigue was certainly a factor, as both teams were on the second half of a back-to-back.
 
Brenna Ortwein was her usual tenacious self, finishing with nine points, nine rebounds and two steals. Five of those rebounds were on the offensive end. Other than Zentner, just two other Marauders reached double figures; Mitchell finished with 10 as did Morgan Mahoney, who was limited by foul trouble in the fourth quarter and beyond. Mowen used 11 of her 13 rostered players in the first half and was proud of her team following the win.

"I said from the start that we wanted to get two on the road to begin conference play," Mowen said postgame.  "Through the grit, the fight, and the determination of our girls not to let a loss happen, we got the win. No matter who it was, everyone on the team did a great job of understanding their role and what they needed to do. We did a great job of knowing scout and running scout. Our offense was a struggle tonight, but our defense really kicked in when it needed to, and that enabled us to really overcome the pushes by Slippery Rock."

Millersville improves to 2-0 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) with the victory. It is the program's first 2-0 start in conference play since the 2012-13 season, when the Marauders took down Lock Haven and Clarion to begin their conference slate.  It is the first start of 5-1 or better since that same 2012-13 campaign; Millersville began the year by winning five straight and finished with a 21-8 record en route to the PSAC semifinals.

It was the first time since Feb. 6, 2023 against Kutztown that the Marauders participated in a double overtime contest. Feb. 4 & 7 of 2009 was the most recent of the three times that Millersville has played in consecutive overtime games. The 'Ville downed East Stroudsburg in an extra session 51-47 on the fourth before falling to West Chester in double overtime on the seventh.

UP NEXT:

• Up next: The Marauders head to Puerto Rico next week and have two exhibition contests scheduled. The first is against the Catholic University of Puerto Rico and is slated to begin at 2 p.m. on Nov. 26. The next official NCAA contest for Millersville will be in Pucillo Gymnasium against Seton Hill on Dec. 6 at 3 p.m.