Hamline University’s women’s basketball team clinched the playoffs last Wednesday after they defeated Bethel with a game-winning shot as time expired in their last game at Hutton Arena.

Tonight at 7:30 p.m., they will face Saint Benedict in their first playoff appearance since 2009.

Last Wednesday, Hamline faced Bethel in their home finale at Hutton Arena. They were one win away from clinching the playoffs with only one more game remaining.

Hamline took control of the game early with an 8-0 lead and extended it to 21-8. Bethel managed to catch up, but Hamline still led 32-29 going into the locker room.

The second half was a slugfest; there were six lead changes in the second half of play. Hamline responded with a whole team effort. They distributed the ball effectively and set up quality shots.

The game came down to the wire. With 1:30 remaining, Bethel led 69-68. Senior guard Stephanie Pilgrim responded from behind the arch and Hamline grabbed the lead 71-69. Bethel then tied the game with a layup.

Head Coach Kerri Stockwell called a 60-second timeout with 18.9 seconds remaining in the game. Tied at 71, Stockwell used those 60 seconds to draw up a play that would outlast Bethel in regulation.

Hamline inbounded the ball with a pass to senior captain Kara Poirier. She melted down the clock a few seconds before the team started to move the ball.

They tried to flank Bethel defenders as they drove lane, hoping to draw Bethel defenders in so they could hit Pilgrim in the corner for three.

Pilgrim received the ball in the corner, but Bethel didn’t bite. A tightly contested Pilgrim improvised: she passed to junior guard Je’Naya Brown. Brown put the rock in the hands of Poirier at the top of the arch.

With less than five seconds, Poirier size up her opponent and released the shot. The ball soared through the air and fell through the net as the backboard lit and buzzard rang. Hamline won 74-71 and clinched a playoff spot.

“In reality, I just happened to shoot the last shot. There were other points scored by my teammates that were just as crucial to our win,” Poirier responded in an email interview. “I couldn’t think of a better way to end my last game at Hutton Arena.”

Sophomore guard Jordan Sammons recorded the game high with 29 points, followed by Pilgrim with 19 and Brown with 12.

Throughout the season, this team has pulled out many close games. Last Saturday’s season finale against Carleton was no exception, as they pulled out an overtime road victory 66-60 to clinch the fifth seed.

“We never give up or stop fighting,” Poirier messaged. “There’s never a game where everything goes perfectly, and as a team, we are prepared for that. We always say ‘don’t look back, don’t back down.’”

The Pipers have finished the season 14-11 (14-8 in MIAC). They have won their last six on the road–a school record–and look to build on that momentum tonight in their visit to St. Joseph, Minn., where they will play fourth seed Saint Benedict.

“One of our main goals, as a team, from day one was to make the playoffs,” Poirier messaged. “It’s an accomplishment that we are very proud of and excited for.”