Box Score When the ball swished through the twine with 1.7 seconds remaining in regulation from a shot launched by Shmoo Pryor, 49 years of frustration followed it through.

Pandemonium followed soon after, as Pryor's shot not only unlocked a 58-58 tie, but would ultimately prove to the title winning points.

For the first time in program history, the John Carroll University women's basketball team are Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament Champions, following a 61-58 victory over the Ohio Northern Polar Bears.

"We worked incredibly hard," said head coach Kelly Morrone. "There were so many different hands in making this program turn the way it has and to go from winning, to not winning, to winning again, is hard. We had to go through ton of transition and it is surreal."

A game for the ages it was, as one shot would be the deciding factor in a hard fought game.

Ohio Northern had tied the score at 58-58 with under 30 seconds to play, setting the stage for John Carroll to get the last look in regulation.

"The last play of the game was not designed for anyone or any person,' said Pryor. "Our inside/outside game was not working, so on the kick out I just went for it. I hit a few earlier in the day so I felt confident that it was going in."

The offense went into motion with about ten ticks left, and the ball wound up int he hands of freshman Olivia Nagy with four seconds left. As she stood on the outside of the key about eight feet from the basket, she saw a wide open Pryor at the far side of the arc. 

The rest will be etched in history.

Morrone felt it was a perfect picture setting for Pryor to give the program their first ever championship.

"I think for her it was necessary," said Morrone. "She needed to put an exclamation mark on her impact on this team. She had the confidence to knock that shot down."

Pryor is the longest tenured Blue Streak, as she has been with the program since 2014-15 and was the only one with ties to NCAA postseason experience. She took last season off for personal reasons and came back for one final run because of the specialness of this group.

"Everyone works hard and plays hard. We are a family," said Pryor. She finished with a career high 17 points on 4-of-7 shooting from three-point, adding four rebounds.

Taking down the #7 seed Polar Bears would not come easy for the top seeded Blue Streaks. ONU held a 50-43 advantage with 6:27 remaining in the game, following a 7-0 run in the early moments of the fourth quarter. Morrone felt that her team was playing too passive over that stretch.

"We were playing in fear of losing instead of remembering that we still had the opportunity to win," said Morrone. "It is a simple thing like that. It is just to remind them that this game is still going on … do not decide before the buzzer sounds whether or not we have won it or have not."

And her team did not.

John Carroll fought and clawed their way back into the game, tying it up at 52 a piece at the 2:43 mark. As the whole crowd sat on the edge of their seats, the two teams traded shots until both teams were tied at 58. 

The championship atmosphere at the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center played into JCU's favor.

"This community and university showed up for us," said Morrone. "It was a huge environment. We do not pull this game out with out that support."

It took awhile for both teams to settle in, with the first points of the match being scored 2:37 into the game. The Polar Bears broke the ice on the foul line, getting an early 1-0 lead.

On the Blue and Gold's end, JCU did not score until Pryor hit a three-pointer at the 6:14 mark.  

"I think it took us back a little bit to get used to the atmosphere," said Morrone.

Moments later, fellow senior Kahrin Spear followed the scoring with a layup. That would be the Blue Streaks last points of the half, just one 5-0 run.

Spear would be named tournament MVP for her performances over the last three games. She averaged 11.7 points, 4 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.0 steals in the tournament, including a nine-point, five-assist, five-rebound afternoon against ONU.

Although it was an individual honor, Spear felt that it was a team award.

"I would be nothing without my teammates. MVP should be a shared honor," said Spear.

Despite scoring being frozen, Ohio Northern ended the opening quarter on a 11-0 run. ONU held the 12-5 advantage at the end of the first stanza. The Blue Streaks struggled shooting the ball, shooting 15.4 percent from the floor in the first quarter.

It did not take long for JCU to end their scoring drought, as Pryor again drained another three-pointer — this time eight seconds into the second quarter.

Over the following six minutes of play in the second stanza, both teams traded shots. At the 1:45 mark sophomore Nicole Heffington gave JCU their first lead in over 11 minutes. Those three points by Heffington were her only points of the half.

"She is going to get double and triple teamed her entire career. That comes with being the player that everyone keys on," said Morrone.

Heffington was named to the all tournament team by the OAC.

To close out the first half, ONU went on a 7-0 run. Spear supplied two foul shots to lessen the wounds. The Polar Bears ultimately held the 27-24 lead at the end of the first half.

Pryor led all scorers with 17 points, on 3-4 shooting from beyond the arc. Spear led JCU with four rebounds and added six points.

Much like the first half, it took a little while for some scoring. ONU broke the ice again in the second half, with two points two minutes in.

Even with an early Polar Bears lead, the Blue Streaks kept their composure. A three-pointer by junior Dani Carlson put the Blue and Gold in position of a three-point lead (34-31), igniting the DeCarlo Varsity Center mid-way through the third quarter. Carlson finished with nine points coming off the bench,

ONU closed out the third quarter on a 7-0 run, taking a 41-38 lead into the final quarter. Heffington scored seven of JCU's 14 points in the third quarter.

"Heff creates for herself. She is She finds a way to manufacture things for herself," said Morrone.

The Blue and Gold outscored Ohio Northern 23-17 in the final quarter, shooting 50 percent from the field. The Polar Bears actually shot better (53.8%) but JCU limited their shot selection with a strong defensive presence.

John Carroll punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014, with today's win. Morrone feels that her team is up for the challenge that stands in front of them.

"I think they want to see how far they can go for this postseason," said Morrone. "Every team that we run into is going to have the same championship effort that the OAC has. It is always nice to measure up against other teams nationally.  They are excited to see the next step and they worked extremely hard to see that next step."

Today's win carries with it the Ohio Athletic Conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Championship. The Blue Streaks will learn their postseason fate on Monday, February 25.