RIO GRANDE, Ohio -- On Friday afternoon, the Midway women's basketball team faced off with Cumberland (Tenn.) in the opening game of the 2022 Bevo Francis Classic. Despite a 35-point performance from Dezeree White (Houston, Texas), the Eagles dropped a 99-98 triple overtime heartbreaker to the Phoenix.

With the loss, the Eagles fall to 1-2 on the season while the Phoenix improve to 3-0 for the campaign.

Cumberland opened the game on an 11-2 run before Kassidy Daugherty (Owensboro, Ky.) hit a three-point field goal to cut the Phoenix advantage to six. The Eagles closed the opening quarter on a 4-0 run to trail 18-13 after 10 minutes of play.

In the second stanza, Midway scored on its first possession thanks to a layup from Semaj Adams (New Orleans, La.) to make it a one-possession game. Following a pair of Phoenix free throws, the Eagles hit back-to-back threes from Atlantis White (Houston, Texas) and Jalyn Jackson (Cold Spring, Ky.) to make the game a one-point affair. After trading points for the remainder of the quarter, Dezeree White went coast-to-coast and hit a layup at the buzzer to send the two teams into halftime tied at 32.

The second half began with Cumberland embarking on an 8-2 run before Dezeree White drained a three-point field goal to slice the lead in half. Following a pair of free throws from the Phoenix, Dezeree White hit a pair of field goals as well as two free throws and the two squads were tied at 43.

Following a Cumberland field goal, a free throw from Adams along with a pair from Sereniti Webb (Covington, Ky.) provided the Eagles with their first lead of the afternoon.

In the final frame of regulation, Cumberland jumped out to a five-point lead but the Eagles clawed their way back with a Keia McCullogh (Nashville, Tenn.) jump shot and a pair of free throws courtesy of Jackson to make it a one-point game with 7:02 remaining.

After the Phoenix established another five-point lead, Dezeree White scored six consecutive points to give Midway a 61-60 edge. A 7-2 run gave Cumberland a 67-63 lead but Dezeree White answered again with a pair of free throws and a Jackson layup with 38 seconds remaining in regulation tied the game at 67 and the two teams headed to overtime.

In overtime, Midway scored first thanks to a Dezeree White layup but the Phoenix answered right back with a field goal of their own. With the two teams tied at 70, Atlantis White hit one of two free throws and Adams sank a pair to give the Eagles a three-point edge with 2:06 remaining.

With Midway holding on to a one-point lead with 19 seconds to play in the first extra session, Adams hit one of two free throws but the Phoenix answered back with a layup to force a second overtime.

In the second overtime period, the Eagles embarked on a 5-0 run with all the points being scored by Jackson. Following a Cumberland free throw, Atlantis White hit a pair of her own to give Midway a six-point lead with 1:33 remaining. The Phoenix then went on a 9-3 run to tie the game at 84 and force triple overtime.

The Phoenix opened the third extra session with a pair of made free throws but Dezeree White answered again with a field goal to even the score at 86. Following a 6-1 run, Emma Gutman (Williamstown, Ky.) hit a layup to cut the Cumberland lead to three.  

Jackson then scored five consecutive points to give Midway a two-point lead but Cumberland finished the game on a 7-4 run to take home a 99-98 win.

Dezeree White's 35-point performance led the Eagles in scoring. Jackson added 21 points while Adams chipped in with 10. Dezeree White and Adams led the Eagles with seven rebounds while Atlantis White dished out five assists. On the defensive end, Atlantis White recorded five steals while McCullogh blocked four shots for the afternoon.

The Midway women's basketball team will return to court early on Saturday when it faces off with No. 14 ranked Bryan (Tenn.) in the second day of the Bevo Francis Invitational. Opening tipoff against the Lions is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET from Rio Grande, Ohio.

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