CHICAGO, Ill. - The Rockford University women's basketball team (3-14, 1-11 NACC) earned a thrilling 70-63 double-overtime victory Saturday at Illinois Tech (0-16, 0-11 NACC). The win gave Rockford its second double-overtime victory of the season. Saturday's game was a hard-fought contest the entire way by both teams. There were a total of nine ties and five lead changes, and the entire game was played within a fifteen-point spread. Ultimately, it was the Regents who came out on top though, due in part to a few deciding factors. First, Rockford connected on six three-pointers compared to just two for Illinois Tech, which gave the Regents a twelve-point advantage from long range. Next, the Regents made 24 free throws, compared to just 15 for the Scarlet Hawks. Finally, the Regents scored 25 points off 27 Illinois Tech turnovers, compared to just 13 points for the Scarlet Hawks off 23 Rockford turnovers. 

• After quickly falling behind 4-0, Rockford outscored Illinois Tech 11-2 over the remainder of the first quarter. Emily Cox tied for the team-high with four points. Sammi Russell was crucial off the bench in the closing moments of the period for the Regents. Russell scored the final four RU points on a perfect 2-for-2 shooting. 
• Rockford picked up right where it left off in the opening moments of the second quarter. The Regents scored six of the first eight points and extended their lead to a game-high nine. Linzy Keller drained back-to-back threes to put her team out in front 17-8. 
• However, the Scarlet Hawks scored the next nine points to tie the game and force a Regent time out. 
• Rockford was able to regroup after the timeout, scoring five straight points and taking a 22-19 advantage into the half. 
• The game went back-and-forth in the opening moments of the second half, before Rockford used a 5-0 run midway through the quarter to take a 30-25 lead. Linzy Keller scored all five points during that span, including an old-fashioned three-point play to cap off the run. 
• Unfortunately, the Scarlet Hawks closed the quarter with a 12-2 run of their own, to take a 41-36 advantage into the fourth. 
• Illinois Tech's lead hovered around five points, until the Regents made one final push over the final few minutes of regulation. 
• Emily Cox made it a three-point game on a made layup with just four minutes remaining.
• Linzy Keller then connected on all six of her free throw attempts over the next two minutes to give Rockford a 54-53 lead, its first since midway through the third quarter.
• Illinois Tech would answer by going 1-for-2 at the free throw line on the very next possession to tie the game.
• Both teams had multiple chances to win the game over the final 90 seconds, but neither team was able to convert, forcing the game into overtime.
• Illinois Tech came out firing on all cylinders in the opening minutes of overtime. The Scarlet Hawks scored the first five points of the period, to take a 59-54 lead with 1:41 remaining.
• Following a Rockford timeout, the Regents scored the next five points, including the game-tying free throw by Emily Cox with 13 seconds remaining.
• Rockford would force a turnover on the ensuing Illinois Tech possession, but was unable to capitalize, thus sending the game into a second overtime.
• After the teams traded made free throws early in the period, Rockford scored five straight points, capped off by a Courtney Sutherland three, to take a 66-61 lead. 
• Illinois Tech would cut the Regent lead back to three on a pair of made free throws, but Emily Cox scored the next three points to put her team up by six with only 33 seconds remaining. 
• Rockford tacked on one more point en route to a thrilling 70-63 double-overtime win.

• Linzy Keller finished with a career-high 29 points, including connecting on 14-of-15 from the free throw line. Keller also added a season-high 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals for her first double-double of the season. 
• Emily Cox added 15 points, a season-high 9 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 assist. 
• Courtney Sutherland tallied a career-high 13 points, 3 steals, 2 assists and 1 rebound. 

The RU women's basketball team returns to the court on Tuesday, January 28 at Wisconsin Lutheran College. Tip-off is set for 7 PM.