Women's Basketball | 2/11/2012 9:28:00 PM

Box Score [Box score]

MONMOUTH, Ore. - Elise Miller scored a career-high 19 points, including all seven points in overtime, to lead the Western Oregon women's basketball team to a 67-66 overtime victory against Saint Martin's on Saturday, Feb. 11.

The freshman Miller recorded the best game of her career as she hit 9-of-11 shots from the field, dished out three assists and also had six steals to help lead the Wolves to their second straight home victory. Miller also provided two of the biggest shots of the game.

With WOU trailing 66-62 with 1:26 remaining, Miller found herself open on the right wing and knocked down the trey to bring the Wolves within one. She then picked SMU's point guard's pocket on the ensuing possession and raced down the court for a layup to put Western Oregon in front for good at 67-66.

While Miller was the hero of the overtime period, that honor goes to Jasinski to close regulation. The sophomore from Rapids City, S.D. had a driving layup which she was fouled on the drive to tie the game at 58-58 with a minute remaining. After SMU hit a free throw to go back up by one, Jade Haas hit a layup to put WOU up 60-59 with 22 seconds remaining. The Saints got the ball in to Jori Skorpik and as she drove on the sideline, Miller was called for the foul putting her on the line with 11 seconds left. Skorpik missed the first but made the second to send the game to overtime.

The Wolves had to fight and claw throughout most of the contest. They fell behind by eight in the first half (25-17) but fought back to bring it to four points (29-25) at the half. WOU would then open the second half by scoring the first eight points to take their first lead since the opening basket. The game would remain tight the rest of the way with seven ties and 11 lead changes occurring during the second half.

"We talk about closing out games every day in practice so it is nice to see they are believe in what we are talking about, and that they are putting out the energy to close games," said Western Oregon head coach Greg Bruce. "You might not always get the stop or make the pass you need but we are putting them in position to close. They know if they execute it will turn out well for us."

Jasinski finished the game with a career-high 10 points. Haas added nine points and a team-leading seven rebounds. Chelsea Haskey had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Saints.

"I told our players I don't know if we deserved to win this game cause Saint Martin's outplayed us in a couple of parts but give us credit for hanging in there when we could have folded a couple of times," said Western Oregon head coach Greg Bruce. "We persevered but we didn't play smart tonight.

"Saint Martin's is a really well coached team and they always make you play different," continued Bruce. "They slow you down and make you make some tough shots."

The Wolves will now host the Alaska schools beginning on Feb. 16. Alaska Fairbanks will be here on Thursday and nationally ranked Alaska Anchorage on Saturday. Both games will tipoff at 7:00 p.m.