BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – The season opener was a thriller, as the Golden Eagles tied a school record with 116 points but fell to No. 23 Olivet Nazarene Tigers in overtime 121-116. Senior Cass Vredevoogd scored a career high 39 points, putting her one point shy of the school record, while junior Jesse Sheridan tied a career high with 30 points in the loss. CU moves to 0-1 on the year, as they get set for their home opener vs. receiving votes Indiana Wesleyan on Tuesday, October 31.

Game Flow
The Golden Eagles outplayed the home Olivet Nazarene Tigers early on, getting up by as many as 17 points in the first half against the press defense. The duo of Cass Vredevoogd and Jesse Sheridan were unstoppable in the first half, as they combined for 36 of Cornerstone's 54 points. CU took a 15-point lead into the half, 54-39.

Olivet Nazarene was able to cut into the deficit in the third quarter, bringing the Cornerstone lead down to as low as four behind five made three's in the period. Despite never losing the lead in the fourth quarter, ONU was able to tie the game at 107 on a layup by sophomore guard Kayla Ross with one second remaining.

The Tigers then took their first lead since four minutes into the game on a made three to begin the overtime. CU then rebounded to take a 116-110 lead with just 1:39 remaining in the period on a pair of buckets from Cass Vredevoogd and Jesse Sheridan. A few mistakes by the Golden Eagles then allowed Olivet Nazarene to score 11 unanswered points to end the game, downing Cornerstone 121-116.

By the Numbers
17 – Freshman Sydney Muller (9) and senior Lizzy Otten (8) combined for 17 assists in today's game.
10 – Shaina DenBesten and Shelby Nyboer each scored ten points.
64 – CU shot 64% in the game, going 48-75 from the field.
40-15 – CU recorded 40 turnovers, while Olivet Nazarene had just 15 on the game.  

Up Next
The Golden Eagles will play their home opener in Mol Arena on Tuesday, October 31 vs. receiving votes Indiana Wesleyan at 6 p.m.