The University of Mary Washington women's basketball team dropped a 65-59 overtime decision to visiting Washington & Lee University on Saturday afternoon at Ron Rosner Arena. The Eagles slip to 7-2 on the season.

The first period saw neither team lead by more than four points. The Eagles used a pair of free throws and a basket fron freshman Molly Sharman and baskets from Jordan Lee and Faith St. Clair to build an 8-4 lead with 3:09 left in the frame. From there, the Generals reeled off seven straight points to close the period with an 11-8 lead.

In the second, early baskets from sophomore Thora Gibbs and Sharman gave the Eagles a 12-11 advantage, but a three pointer for W&L assumed the lead with 9:35 left, and a pair of free throws with 7:26 left widened the margin to four. Gibbs connected for another basket and Sharman completed a three-point play to regain the lead at 17-16 with 5:24 remaining. Two Sharman buckets and another from freshman Bri Harper gave the Eagles a 21-18 advantage, but the Generals scored the final five points of the second to take a 23-21 lead to intermission.

Washington and Lee opened the third with a 7-2 run to take a game-high seven point lead, at 30-23, with 6:54 left. The Eagles responded with a basket from junior Tory Martin and five points from junior Maddie Shifflett to knot the score with 4:58 left. An Ashley Martin layup with 3:21 remaining gave UMW the lead, and UMW held a 32-31 lead through three quarters.

In the fourth, Tory Martin opened with a basket before the Generals connected on another of their seven three point baskets on the day to tie the score once again. The Eagles regained the lead on a Sharman jumper with 5:16 to play, but W&L tied the score on a basket and regained the lead on a pair of free throws from Andy Smithey with 4:03 left. Shifflett regained the lead for UMW with a three point play with 3:21 to go, and a pair of Tory Martin free throws with 1:59 left extended the lead to 45-42. 

After a Washington and Lee free throw, Tory Martin scored again, only to see the Generals hit another three pointer with 1:06 left to knot the score at 47-47. Shifflett made a pair of free throws with 49 seconds left, but W&L tied the score on a jumper with 38 seconds left. Neither team would score again in regulation, and the game headed to overtime - the second straight game for the Eagles to go beyond 40 minutes.

After the teams opened the extra frame trading baskets, the Generals scored a pair of baskets to grab a four-point lead with 2:57 left. A pair of Shifflett free throws cut the deficit to to, and another at 2:32 trimmed the margin to 55-54. Shifflett then gave UMW the lead at 1:46 left with another jumper, but Erin Addison made a three pointer for W&L with 36 seconds left, and then UMW was whistled for a foul after the shot, and Addison made both chances for a five point swing and a 60-56 lead. 

After a W&L free throw, Shifflett completed a three-point play to cut the margin to 61-59, but the Generals made four straight free throws down the stretch for the win.

Shifflett led the Eagles with 21 points and eight rebounds, while Sharman added 13 points. Taylor Casey had 21 for Washington & Lee. 

The Eagles shot 23-64 from the field (35.9%), making 1-9 three point shots and 12-14 free throws. W&L shot 21-51 (41.2%), making 7-19 three pointers and 16-23 free throws. The Generals led in rebounds, 41-35.

Mary Washington will return to action on Monday when they visit William Peace University at 5:00 p.m.