NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Piedmont 75, DePauw 74 (F/OT)
Records: Piedmont, 8-3; DePauw, 11-2

GREENCASTLE, Ind. - The Piedmont women's basketball team made history on Thursday night, outlasting No. 9 DePauw in overtime, 75-74, to win the Amy Hasbrook Memorial Tournament Championship.

Trailing by a point in the final seconds of overtime, senior KARLA CANTRELL's driving layup with five seconds remaining proved to be the game-winner, as the Tigers' final desperation heave was off target.

The win is the first in the program's NCAA era (2003) over a top-10 opponent, and this came on the road against the ninth-ranked Tigers, who hosted the event.

Overtime was not guaranteed, but junior forward NAKIYAH WASHINGTON earned a trip to the free throw line with just over a second left in regulation and calmly knocked down both free throws to force the extra period.

As she did in Wednesday's win, LIVIA SKINNER led all scorers, pouring in 20 points and adding seven assists while Washington provided assistance with 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting.

For the second straight day, Piedmont used its defense to build an early lead. The Lady Lions held the Tigers to just eight points in the first quarter and built a 15-8 advantage after the first 10 minutes. The score was close at 7-6 midway through the period, but Piedmont used an 8-2 run to close the quarter to build the seven-point lead.

DePauw answered back with a rally in the second, knotting the score at 30 apiece going to the locker room thanks to a 22-point quarter. Overall, the Lady Lions forced 11 turnovers in the first half while committing just three. However, the Tigers claimed a 22-10 rebounding advantage to even the score.

KLAIRE VARNEY's three-pointer with 5:22 left in the third quarter capped a 10-0 scoring run by the Lady Lions to put them ahead 42-33. However, DePauw responded with a 10-2 run of its own to head into the final quarter trailing by just a single point.

The fourth quarter was back-and-forth the entire way, with neither side leading by more than four points. Both sides executed on the offensive end at a high level, with DePauw connecting on 7-of-13 field goals while Piedmont made six field goals. The fourth quarter difference proved to be at the free throw line as the Lady Lions made 5-of-6 with the Tigers only connecting on 1-of-4.

After Washington drove the paint, drew a foul and forced overtime with her two clutch free throws, more drama ensued in the extra period, with eight total lead changes. Skinner was outstanding, scoring nine of Piedmont's 13 total points, while assisting on AVERY MCALLISTER's layup to begin the period.

Despite trailing twice in the final 30 seconds, Cantrell was undeterred, as she drove right and finished a difficult layup in traffic to bring Piedmont the historic victory.

TURNING POINT:
- In an instant classic, the game hung in the balance until the final seconds, as Cantrell's layup with five seconds left in OT proved to be the eighth and final lead change of the period.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- Skinner notched her team-leading fifth 20+ point performance of the season, with 20 points and seven assists.
- Washington added 18 points after scoring 20 in Wednesday's win over Franklin.
- Varney delivered three three-pointers while adding five rebounds and four assists.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- The Lady Lions held an extreme advantage in the turnover battle, forcing 21 while committing just nine.

NEWS AND NOTES:
- The win is the first in the program's NCAA era (since 2003) over a top-10 opponent.

UP NEXT:
- The Lady Lions will return to conference play with a road matchup against Covenant this Tuesday, Jan. 4 at 6 p.m.

HOW TO FOLLOW:
- To stay up to date on all information regarding Piedmont University Athletics, be sure to visit PiedmontLions.com and connect with the Green and Gold on social media. Follow the Lions on Twitter: @PiedmontLions, Instagram: @PiedmontLions, and Facebook. To follow each Piedmont athletic program on social media, use the Social Media Directory at PiedmontLions.com or click here.