COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — In a game defined by a dramatic final minute, Marie Sepp’s clutch free throws and a critical defensive stand lifted Morehead State to a 67-66 victory over Tennessee Tech in an Ohio Valley Conference women’s basketball thriller Saturday at Eblen Center.

The visiting Eagles, who trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half and faced a 37-30 deficit at halftime, completed their comeback in the closing seconds. With the game tied at 64, Morehead State’s Anja Ekstrom was fouled on a three-point attempt with 24 seconds remaining. She missed the first two free throws before making the third, giving the Eagles a tenuous one-point lead.

Tennessee Tech’s Chloe Larry then drove for a layup with 14 seconds left, putting the Golden Eagles back in front 66-65. Morehead State advanced the ball and called timeout with 7.7 seconds on the clock. On the ensuing inbounds play, Laura Toffali was fouled by Amaya Thomas on a three-point shot attempt with 0.4 seconds remaining.

Toffali missed the first free throw but calmly sank the second to tie the game. Her third attempt missed, but a lane violation was called on Tennessee Tech, giving the Eagles another chance. On the reset, Toffali was fouled again, this time by Reghan Grimes with 0.1 seconds left. She made the first free throw to give Morehead State the lead and intentionally missed the second. The Golden Eagles could not secure a clean rebound as time expired, sealing the Eagles’ road victory.

The most important sequence of the game was unquestionably the final 14 seconds. After Larry’s go-ahead basket for Tennessee Tech, Morehead State executed its final play perfectly to draw the foul on Toffali’s three-point attempt. Her composure at the line and the subsequent defensive miscue by Tennessee Tech on the lane violation provided the razor-thin margin in a contest where neither team led by more than four points in the fourth quarter.

Sepp, a guard from Tallinn, Estonia, led all scorers with 21 points and added six assists for Morehead State. Her backcourt partner, Kate Dike of Kyiv, Ukraine, dominated inside with a game-high 24 points on efficient shooting. Their combined 45 points anchored the Eagles’ offense, which shot 52.1% from the field compared to Tennessee Tech’s 35.7%.

The Golden Eagles relied on the three-pointer, making 11 of 29 attempts, and capitalized on 16 offensive rebounds to generate 20 second-chance points. Reghan Grimes led Tennessee Tech with 17 points and six assists, while Larry added 18 points. LaReesha Cawthorn was a force defensively, recording five blocks.

Tennessee Tech built its early lead behind hot outside shooting, taking a 37-30 advantage into halftime. Morehead State chipped away in the third quarter, holding the Golden Eagles to 12 points, and entered the final period down just 49-45. The Eagles finally drew even midway through the fourth, setting the stage for the back-and-forth finish.

The win improved Morehead State to 10-9 overall. The Eagles have won three of their last four conference games. Tennessee Tech fell to 10-6, suffering its second consecutive narrow defeat in OVC play after an overtime loss to Southern Indiana on Thursday.

Interstat’s ELO system had projected Tennessee Tech with a 93.20 percent probability to win, making the result a significant upset. The game was attended by 887 fans.

Morehead State returns home to host Western Illinois on Thursday. Tennessee Tech travels to face Lindenwood that same night.