Moorer Hits Game-Winner in Fourth Overtime To Give UVa 94-92 Victory at NC State

Story Links

RALEIGH, N.C. – The Virginia women’s basketball team edged NC State on the road, 94-92, in quadruple overtime Thursday night. It was the longest game in either program’s history. Junior guard Ariana Moorer (Woodbridge, Va.) made a buzzer-beating running lay-up as time expired to give the Cavaliers the victory.

Virginia improved to 14-12, 3-7 in Atlantic Coast Conference action. NC State’s record dropped to 10-14 overall and 1-8 in league play.

Sophomore guard China Crosby (New York, N.Y.) led Virginia with 19 points. Freshman Ataira Franklin (Bowie, Md.) and junior guard Whitny Edwards (Charlotte, N.C.) each had double doubles. Franklin finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Edwards scored 13 points and pulled down 11 boards.

Paulisha Kellum (Upper Marlboro, Md.) added 16 points for UVa and Simone Egwu (Odenton, Md.) chipped in 10 points.

NC State led 24-21 at halftime. The Cavaliers had erased that deficit by the 18:00 mark of the second half. Franklin exploded offensively in the first four-minute segment, scoring 11 points in five minutes and 23 seconds. UVa led 36-33 at the first media timeout (14:37).

Another jumpshot by Franklin at the 12:47 mark gave Virginia a 10-point lead, 43-33. NC State used a 16-6 run over the next six minutes to tie the score at 49-49 on a lay-up by Amber White with 6:17 left in regulation.

With the score still tied, this time at 56-56 with 21.3 seconds left, Virginia’s Ariana Moorer attempted a lay-up under the basket but her shot was blocked by Bonae Holston as regulation ended.

In the first overtime, Marissa Kastanek hit two free throws with 16.9 seconds left that gave NC State a 66-64 lead. On the Cavaliers’ next possession, Whitny Edwards finished a lay-up off of an assist from Crosby to tie the game and send the game to a second overtime.

In that period, NC State was able to create separation after back-to-back baskets by Kody Burke and Breezy Williams. After another round of free throws by Crosby that cut the Wolfpack lead to 74-71, NC State’s Brittany Strachan nailed a baseline jumper with 57.9 seconds left that gave the Wolfpack a 76-71 lead.

From there, Whitny Edwards drained a trey with 48.6 seconds left that pulled UVa within 76-74, and the Cavaliers got a stop on the defensive end.

When Edwards came down with the defensive rebound, she was fouled and converted one of two free throws to make the score 76-75 in favor of NC State. Virginia fouled Kody Burke with 13.5 seconds left and the freshman forward made one of two attempts. Crosby kissed a running lay-up off the glass to tie the score at 77 with 4.9 seconds left and force a third overtime.

With 12.9 seconds left in the third overtime, Breezy Williams made a fastbreak lay-up to put NC State up, 85-83. On the Cavaliers’ offensive possession, Moorer got a good look on a baseline running jumper but the ball went out of bounds off the rim. At the 4.2 second mark, Paulisha Kellum made a driving lay-up as time expired and the third overtime ended with the score tied 85-85.

In the fourth overtime, it again came down to the wire, as the score was tied at 92-92 with 5.1 seconds left. Moorer caught the inbounds pass and nailed a running jumper as time expired to lift Virginia to the 94-92 victory.

Kastanek led NC State with 23 points.

Up next, Virginia travels to Maryland on Sunday (Feb. 13). Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Comcast Center.