Multiple late comebacks paved the way for the Blue Streaks, as John Carroll roared back to top the Mount Union Purple Raiders, 81-75, in double overtime in a women's basketball showdown at the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center on Wednesday night.

JCU moves on to 5-13, and gains a critical third win in OAC play. Mount Union drops to 9-9, and 4-7 in the OAC.

Katlyn Spahar had 26 points for the Blue Streaks, including a crucial three-pointer to clinch the game. Shmoo Pryor came up on offense and defense, recording 24 points, 10 rebounds and six steals. Spahar contributed nine rebounds, adding four assists. Jaimie Sanborn scored 11 for UMU, with Abby Bartoszewicz leading the way with 15. The Purple Raiders bench outscored John Carroll, 35-to-18.

After grabbing an early five point advantage, the Blue Streaks were unable to hold the lead in the first quarter. A late 13-4 run gave Mount Union a 15-11 lead after ten minutes in an aggressive defensive battle.

Fast paced action for both teams drove the second quarter. Three-point buckets by Shmoo Pryor, Katlyn Spahar and Sarah Sprecher fueled John Carroll to take a 22-21 lead midway through the quarter. The back-and-forth action would continue into halftime, with five lead changes before the halftime break. Mount Union ended the half on a 6-2 run and jumped ahead to a 32-28 lead at the half.

The third quarter brought more close action, as both teams traded baskets back and forth. Attempting to close the gap, the Blue Streaks narrowed the Purple Raiders' advantage to three points twice during the quarter, but were unable to take the lead. After another strong close, Mount Union commanded a 49-43 lead entering the final quarter of play.

???????Spahar had 15 points and six rebounds through three quarters. The balanced Mount Union scoresheet was topped by Sanborn's nine points.
After surviving a Purple Raider run in the first minutes of play, John Carroll continued to claw back from the deficit that they had faced since late in the second quarter. Narrowing the gap to two points with just 1:44 remaining, the Blue and Gold would not stop there.

A late steal by Spahar set up an easy layup by Kahrin Spear to tie the game at 55, forcing a Purple Raider timeout with 1:03 left in regulation.

After failing to convert on what seemed to be their final possession of the quarter, the Blue Streaks found their saving grace. Shmoo Pryor was able to steal the ball at half-court with five seconds on the game clock, forcing Mount Union to foul her to prevent a game-winning layup with 2.1 seconds remaining.

Pryor stepped to the line and was able to convert one free throw, and the Blue Streaks captured their first lead since the first half. The Purple Raiders were not finished. A foul against the Blue Streaks occurred with 0.5 seconds remaining, and a Casey Morrissette free throw sent the game to overtime.

Mount Union opened the additional period with efficient shooting and a seven point advantage. Trailing by just three with under a minute remaining in overtime, a Sarah Sprecher steal gave John Carroll an extra possession. With this, Pryor was able to work her heroics yet again. A three point bucket fell for the junior guard, and tied the game yet again with 42 seconds left in additional time.

A pair of traded leads sent the game into a second overtime.

The Blue Streaks began to pull away in the final five minutes. Timely baskets from multiple different players allowed John Carroll to jump out to their largest lead of the game before the end of the game, finishing with a 81-75 victory.

Head coach Kelly Morrone was especially impressed after the game with the way her team battled over two overtime periods, "This team handled adversity incredibly well tonight," said Morrone. "They responded in the most high-pressure situations."

The Blue Streaks will next be in action on Saturday, when they travel to New Concord to face off with Muskingum.