BROWNWOOD, Texas – The Belhaven Blazers Women's Basketball team fell to Howard Payne University 70-74 in overtime on Saturday, snapping the teams winning streak at four games. Despite the loss, the Blazers have won six of their last nine games.
 
The game went to overtime after Kyra Washington and Vamikka Smith were unable to connect on short-range jumpers, in the final three seconds of regulation.
 
Howard Payne connected on a pair of early threes and jumped out to an 8-0 run to start the overtime period. The Blazers answered back with a 7-1 run of their own, but were unable to complete the comeback, being outscored 11-7 in the overtime period.
 
Jacinda Smith led the Blazers on the glass recording a team high 20 rebounds. Her previous season high was 11. It is the most rebounds for a Blazer since Erika LeFlore also had 20 rebounds at Spring Hill College on January 18, 2014. Smith's 20 is a tie for the second most rebounds ever in a game by one player for Belhaven, behind only Doreen Douglas's 24 rebounds dating back to 1982.
 
Candler Gregory finished with six field goals, including four from three-point range, part of a 20-point effort on the day to lead the Blazers in scoring. It is the third 20-point effort of her career.
 
With 1:47 remaining in the second quarter, Candler Gregory got on the scoreboard with her first three pointer of the game. With the three, Gregory extended her streak to 13 consecutive games with at least one from behind the arc.
 
Vamikka Smith and Gregory finished second and third for the Blazers in rebounds in the game, recording eight and seven, respectively.
 
Ieshia Dixon, Jasmine Brown, and Vamikka Smith all scored 12 points to join Gregory in double figures as the Blazers finished with 37.3 percent shooting on the day.
 
Belhaven outrebounded Howard Payne 61-40 in the game.
 
The Blazers will return home to Rugg Arena to start ASC East Division play against Louisiana College on Thursday, January 14. Belhaven tips off against the Wildcats at 5:30 p.m.