ASTON, Pa. – The Neumann University women's basketball team defeated Hood College 80-75 in overtime in the first game of the Neumann Tip-Off Tournament on Saturday afternoon.
 
Nafisa Saunders continues to lead the Knights, netting 36 points in the game. She went 24-for-30 from the free throw line. Minika Glenn notched a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Maia Bryson added 12 points. Mariah Maciejewski grabbed 10 boards.
 
The teams battled for the first 40 minutes and were knotted at 64 after regulation. The Blazers scored the first point in overtime before the Knights went on an 8-1 run to take a 72-66 advantage. Key free throws by Glenn and Saunders sealed the win.
 
The Blazers opened the game on an 11-4 run. Hood scored the final four points of the first quarter and held a 20-11 lead after the first 10 minutes. Midway through the second quarter, the Knights cut the lead to four, 26-22, but the Blazers answered with six straight points. Hood's biggest lead was 12 points, 38-26, with a minute left before halftime. Saunders hit two free throws with seven seconds left before the break and Hood took a 38-28 advantage into halftime.
 
The Knights started to chip their way back into the game during the third quarter and with 3:34 left on the clock, a layup by Saunders put Neumann in the lead, 45-44. The teams traded baskets for the rest of the quarter and Neumann took a 50-48 lead into the fourth quarter.
 
The teams battled throughout the fourth quarter and went into overtime knotted at 64.
 
Neumann (3-0) will compete in the Neumann Tip-Off Tournament Championship game tomorrow against Western New England University, who defeated Rutgers-Camden in the second contest on Saturday. Tip-off between the Blazers and the Scarlet Raptors is slated for 12:00 PM, followed by the Knights and Golden Bears at 2:00 PM.