SALEM, Mass.– Clark University women's basketball (6-0) hit the road on Saturday afternoon to meet Salem State (2-1), with both teams looking to remain undefeated. Regulation would not be enough, as the game went into overtime, with the Cougars pulling away to win 67-64, thanks to some clutch shooting by sophomore Cyriah Coleman and junior Kailey Rios.

How it Happened

• The first three points of the game came from the Vikings, all at the free throw line. Clark quickly responded, exploding for a 9-0 run behind layups from first-years Leilani Benson and Atiya Watson, and a three from junior Kailey Rios.

• Salem State grabbed the next five points, but a late layup by Benson sent the Cougars into the first quarter break up 11-8.

• The lead flipped four times in the first five minutes of the second quarter, with a Benson layup giving Clark a 15-14 edge with 5:17 left in the half. After a free throw tied the game, a Watson layup put Clark back in front, but five quick points gave the Vikings the lead again.

• A three by junior Catherine Antwi tied the game at 20 with 51 seconds remaining, but Salem State found a late layup to take a 22-20 lead into halftime.

• Just six seconds into the second half, junior Emma Drefs tied the game with a layup. The Vikings rebuilt a small cushion, leading twice by four, before an and-one layup by sophomore Cyriah Coleman cut it to one with 7:41 left in the third.

• Salem State briefly pushed the lead to five, but another Coleman three-pointer cut it back to a single possession.

• Clark kept battling and finally reclaimed the lead on a Rios trey with 2:51 remaining in the quarter. The lead wouldn't last, as a free throw and offsetting layups sent the game to the fourth tied at 41.

• The Vikings started the fourth quarter with a 5-0 run to regain control and would go up by six with six minutes left in regulation.

• Clark answered, with a Benson free throw and an Antwi three cutting the deficit to two. Moments later, Benson scored inside to erase the gap, tying the game in just 38 seconds of gametime.

• An Antwi free throw gave Clark the lead before a layup by first-year Gabrielle Watson extended it to three with 4:19 to go.

• Salem State slowly regained momentum, taking a 55-53 lead with forty seconds left. Once again, the Cougars remained resilient. A steal by A. Watson led to a game-tying jumper by Rios with just six seconds on the clock. 

• Salem State's layup attempt at the buzzer was off the mark, sending the game into overtime tied at 55.

• Rios continued her clutch shooting, knocking down a go-ahead three to open overtime. The Vikings responded with two layups and five free throws to take a 64-58 lead with 1:59 remaining.

• With their backs against the wall once again, the Cougars fought back. A Coleman three cut the deficit in half, and a pair of free throws from Coleman brought Clark within one.

• With 36 seconds to play, Coleman stepped to the line again and calmly sank two more to give Clark a 65-64 lead. After a defensive stop, Coleman drew another foul and hit both free throws, sealing a 67-64 overtime win for the Cougars.

Inside the Box Score

• Clark hit 22 shots on 16 assists, including seven from behind the arc. The Cougars added 50 rebounds while forcing 40 turnovers behind 27 steals.

• Coleman had a double-double with a team-high 16 points and 13 rebounds, also adding five assists and four steals.

• Rios added 13 points and four steals.

• Antwi posted 13 points off the bench, adding eight steals defensively, the most in a single game by a Cougar since Camryn Richey '23 had nine in January of 2023.

• Benson finished with nine points and six rebounds.

• Drefs chipped in six points, five rebounds, and four assists.

• Shipley was a menace defensively with four blocks and two steals.

What's Next

The Scarlet and White return home on Tuesday for a 6:00 PM meeting with Wesleyan University.