DANBURY, Conn. - Senior forward Sara Macary (Naugatuck, Conn.) netted a team-high 20 points but the Western Connecticut State University women's basketball team suffered a gut-wrenching 73-72 loss in overtime to visiting Little East Conference nemesis Plymouth State University on Saturday afternoon at Feldman Arena. Classmates Leana Heitmann and Malaysia Dingle joined her in double figures with 11 and 10, respectively. Heitmann also racked up a game-high four steals, while Dingle earned the 100th of her career.

Senior guard Sophie George (Meredith, N.H.) paced the Panthers with a game-high 26 points which included six shots from beyond-the-arc. Junior forward Ashley Stevens (Pembroke, N.H.) chipped in with 17 and a game-high five blocked shots. 

Things looked bleak for the hosts in the early going as the visitors raced out to an 11-3 lead. But the Wolves battled back to even the count at 14-14 when sophomore guard Gianna Castellano (East Haven, Conn.) drained a midrange jumper off a feed from Macary late in the opening quarter. The contest remained tight throughout the second stanza and Plymouth State would head into the locker room with a slim 37-34 advantage at the break.

The lead switched hands several times in the second half but neither squad would lead by more than three points. Macary was fouled on a jumper and converted the ensuing free throw for a three-point play, giving WestConn a 64-61 with just 1:51 remaining in regulation. But the Panthers answered with a pair of shots from the stripe to even the count at 64-64 before getting a last second shot that did not find the twine, forcing the extra session.

The overtime stanza was much like the rest of the second half. Plymouth State widened the gap to 73-70 when George nailed a pair of shots from the charity stripe with three seconds to go. The Wolves set up a final play and sophomore guard Deona Garcia (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) drained a long jumper at the buzzer but she was just inside the three-point line, setting the final score at 73-72 in favor of Plymouth State.

With the loss, WestConn moved to 3-6 overall and 0-3 in league play, while Plymouth State improved to 8-2 and 1-1. The Wolves get some time to regroup before they head to Puerto Rico for a two-day tournament beginning on December 29. They meet Salisbury University at 1 p.m. before squaring off with Wilkes University the next day.