IRVING, Texas â€" Karisa Cantu hit a shot with five seconds left to tie things up, but Texas Lutheran couldn't keep that momentum going, falling 91-78 in overtime to Trinity on Saturday in the semifinals of the SCAC Championship.
 
The Bulldogs battled back from a 15-point first-half deficit, eventually taking a lead late in the half. They would put together another comeback much later, with Cantu's shot bringing the Bulldogs all the way back from a seven-point deficit with 40 seconds remaining.
 
After a pair of free throws put Trinity ahead 72-65, Cantu made a layup to cut the deficit to five. A missed free throw from Trinity on the front end of a one-and-one led to a 3-pointer from Bianca Casas to close it to 72-70. The Tigers went 1-of-2 on their next trip to the line, setting up Cantu's dramatic game-tying 3-pointer from the top of the key.
 
Once in overtime though, TLU couldn't continue that momentum, as the Bulldogs were held without a field goal for the final 3:03 of overtime.
 
Saturday's loss spelled the end of Texas Lutheran's season, dropping their final record to 16-9 (11-3 SCAC). They claimed a share of the SCAC regular-season title.
 
 The Bulldogs received a season-best scoring performance from Kristen Lye (San Antonio, Texas). Her 23 points kept the Bulldogs afloat, especially during the first half when she dropped 17 coming off the bench.
 
Cantu (San Antonio, Texas) joined Lye with a strong scoring night. The senior ended her career with a 19-point performance, finishing 6-of-11 from the field. She also dished off a team-high six assists.
 
Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, both Lye and Cantu fouled out in the overtime period.
 
The Bulldogs finished the game 35 percent from the field and actually shot it better from long range, knocking down 38 percent (9-of-24) of their shots from deep.
 
Taylor Dydalewicz (Dripping Springs, Texas), the recently-named SCAC Player of the Year, was the other Bulldog in double figures, finishing with 10 points and seven rebounds.
 
Texas Lutheran found itself down 30-15 in the first half, but began chipping away behind the three-point shot. After falling behind by 15, TLU rattled off the next eight points to get back with 30-23 after a Dydalewicz 3-pointer.
 
Natalie Vella (Corpus Christi, Texas) hit the first of her two 3-pointers with 5:19 left in the first half, cutting the deficit to 32-28. That 3-pointer was the first of four straight made threes from the Bulldogs. The final shot from deep came from Lye, and gave the Bulldogs a 41-40 lead with 1:02 to go in the half.
 
The two teams ended the first half knotted at 42-42.
 
The Bulldogs came out of the halftime locker room and jumped out to a 49-44 lead five minutes into the half after Dydalewicz made three free throws.
 
TLU did not trail again until there was 5:16 left in the game. The Bulldogs would never again grab the lead.
 
In overtime, all of Trinity's made field goals came in the paint. The Tigers also converted eight free throws.