LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- Jessie Blankenship registered a double-double with 10 points and 17 rebounds, but the Covenant women's basketball team fell in overtime 63-60 to the visiting Spelman Jaguars on Saturday evening.
Covenant falls to 7-8 overall and drops to 1-4 in GSAC play. Spelman goes to 4-14 on the season and 2-3 in conference action.
It was the first time since February 28, 2009 that Covenant had played in an overtime game.
On a day when she was honored before the game for recording her 500th career rebound earlier this week, Blankenship posted a season-high 17 rebounds, including 15 on the defensive end. The junior also tallied two assists and two blocks. Haley Soles led Covenant in scoring with 15 points and was 4-of-9 from behind the 3-point line.
Covenant was behind for the majority of the first half until Soles converted a four-point play to tie the score at 27 apiece with just over a minute left in the period. Spelman would go into the break up 32-31.
In the second half, Covenant turned up the intensity. The Lady Scots scored the first 14 points of the half, capped by a Blankenship layup that gave Covenant a 45-32 lead with 14:12 left in the game.
Spelman would creep back into the game as the Jaguars knotted the score at 51-51 after a Jasmine Wallace jumper with 5:16 remaining. The score stayed that way until Blankenship completed a three-point play to give the Lady Scots a 54-51 lead with 1:23 left. Spelman answered with a three-point play of its own by Tiana Welch to tie the score again.
After a Spelman steal and layup from Christiauna Draper with 28 seconds left that gave the Jaguars a 56-54 lead, Kiaira Cooper drove the right side of the lane and made an open layup to again tie the score at 56 with 10 seconds left. Spelman would not get a good look at the basket on its final possession of regulation and the game headed to overtime.
In the extra period, Spelman scored the first five points before Blankenship answered with a basket to cut the Lady Scots' deficit to 61-58 with 2:26 left. On Covenant's next possession, Cooper drained a deep two, as the tip of her foot was just over the 3-point line, to make it 61-60 Spelman.
Covenant forced a Spelman turnover with 41 seconds left and Liz Dougherty nearly gave Lady Scots the lead, but her 3-point attempt went in and out of the basket and was rebounded by Spelman. After a pair of Welch free-throws made it 63-60, Covenant had one last chance but Ruth Gibson could not find the mark from downtown and time expired.
Spelman had three players in double figures led by Welch's 13 points. Shereva Lewis recorded a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds and Courtney Kelson added 10 points. The Jaguars made only 30 percent (21-70) from the field, but connected on 18-of-31 free-throws.
Cooper and Gibson each had nine points for Covenant. The Lady Scots were again plagued by turnovers as they committed 35 that turned into 24 points for Spelman. Covenant was 22-of-61 (36.1 percent) from the field and outrebounded the Jaguars 50-46.
Covenant will return to play on Tuesday at home against GSAC foe Salem. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.
