A last-second layup by sophomore Ashley Reed came up just short in a 70-69 overtime loss by the LeTourneau University women's basketball team to host Hardin-Simmons on Thursday night.

The YellowJackets (3-9, 1-6 ASC) ended regulation on an 11-2 run. Reed was a key factor in causing the extra session as the guard from Cedar Hill hit a pair of 3 pointers and made a free throw in the closing seconds of regulation.

The Cowgirls (4-8, 2-5 ASC) forced the overtime when Taylor Klement – who was fouled on an offensive rebound - made two free throws with three seconds to play. With the game tied at 66, Kayla Brown made a jumper and Lauren Thomas made two free throws for a four-point HSU lead, 70-66. Then, the YellowJackets' Rebecca Stewart hit a 3 pointer to cut the deficit to one, 70-69, forcing the YellowJackets to foul.

The YellowJackets elected to foul Thomas, who is a 66.7% free throw shooter and she missed a pair of free throws with seven seconds to play. On the second miss, LeTourneau's Bria Goodman came down with the rebound and found Reed to set the stage for the last-second shot.

In the win, Hardin-Simmons reserve Sara Vargas came off the bench for a double double (22 points and 13 rebounds) to lead the Cowgirls. She was joined in double digits by Brown and Klement, who each had 18.

In the loss, Reed scored 10 of her 14 and Stewart scored eight of her 14 in overtime to lead the YellowJackets.

LeTourneau built a lead as much as eight in the first half until an 8-3 spurt to close out the half by HSU cut the YellowJackets' lead to 26-23 at halftime. In the first 20 minutes, LETU was led by junior Kalyn Shorter (pictured below) had eight points on the strength of her first two 3-pointers of the season.
 

The second half was controlled by the Cowgirls, who took a nine-point lead, 51-42, when Klement made a layup with 5:15 to play. The resilient YellowJackets managed to score 15 of the next 21 points to tie the game at 57 with 21 seconds left in regulation. In that spurt, LeTourneau got nine of them on three 3-pointers by Reed. The YellowJackets took their first lead since the 19:16 mark of the second half on a layup by sophomore Julia Land with three seconds to play.

In the overtime, the game was tied at 61 and 66 but it was the Cowgirls who prevailed for the victory.

LeTourneau will wrap up its six-game road trip with a 1 p.m. matchup on Saturday at UT Dallas in Richardson.