Winthrop girls' basketball coach Ignacio Oyola ended up working late Friday night. Unlike most, he didn't mind.
The Vikings rallied to beat the visiting Warriors of Wayland, 57-51, in triple overtime, sending Oyola's squad to 4-3. For the second-year coach, this victory was a special one, given the unusual circumstances.
"This was my first triple-overtime game," an enthusiastic Oyola said. "What I liked was the spirit of my basketball team to come back."
The Vikings trailed by 7 points at halftime, but were able to tie the game before the end of regulation.
There was still plenty of work left to do.
"I told them we came this far. Stay confident," Oyola said. "We wanted to make sure we played defense."
The encouragement paid off. The Vikings allowed 7 points in the first overtime, and just 2 in the second. Then, the Vikings' offense finally picked up. Freshman center Kristin Siscamanis made two free throws to tie the game at the end of the second overtime.
It was just one moment in a big night for Siscamanis, who was just inserted into the starting lineup three games ago. The first-year standout notched 12 points and 14 rebounds.
"She has really stood out for us on offense," Oyola said of his new starter.
Three-pointers from Ashelyne Babb and Angelina Favaloro in the third extra period accounted for the winning margin, allowing Winthrop to finish off their long night with a crucial victory.
"I think this was big," Oyola said."Hopefully it will help us to continue on and give us confidence."
