By Jim Fenton

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- The Bridgewater State University women's basketball team had a disappointing start at the 15th annual D3hoops.com Classic on Sunday.

The Bears were unable to hold on to a 20-point lead that was built late in the third quarter and dropped a 72-70 overtime decision to Whittier College of California at the South Point Arena.

BSU (1-7) is on a seven-game losing streak while Whittier (4-4) had dropped four in a row before rallying for the win.

An off-balance basket following an offensive rebound by junior Xochiti Hood (Whittier, Calif.) with just two seconds to go in OT broke a tie and completed the comeback for the Poets.

Junior Shushan Krikorian (McLean, Va.) had a shot inside altered by BSU freshman Emilie von der Linden (Sanbornville, N.H.), but the rebound went to Hood, who converted as she was falling in the lane.

The Bears had a shot just before the buzzer but were unable to convert a potential game-tying basket.

Sophomore Reese Bartlett (Norwood, Mass.) led BSU with a season-high 16 points, making 5 of 8 shots, in 22 minutes before fouling out with 1:37 left in the fourth quarter.

von der Linden posted season bests with 13 points and 13 rebounds to go along with three blocked shots.

Freshman Savannah Azoff (Sandwich, Mass.) had eight points, including a clutch 3-pointer in OT, while sophomore Shania Gardner (Brockton, Mass.) added six points, five rebounds and five assists.

The Poets, a member of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, were led by sophomore Kennedy Perkins (Tehachapi, Calif.) with 21 points, 12 rebounds and four steals.

Krikorian also scored 21 points while Hood contributed 13 points, eight rebounds and five steals.

Whittier missed 15 foul shots while the Bears were at the line for only 12 attempts. BSU shot 44 percent and was 6-for-13 on 3-pointers while the Poets made only 30 percent of their shots.

Turnovers and fouls were an issues for the Bears who committed a season-high 31 miscues and were whistled for 25 fouls.

BSU trailed, 13-12, after one quarter, getting within a point with 46 seconds left on a layup by von der Linden.

The Bears opened a 25-20 lead near the midway point of the second quarter on a fast-break layup by senior Mairead Gallagher (Bridgewater, Mass.).

After Whittier scored five points in a row, the Bears closed the quarter with eight straight points for a 33-25 halftime advantage.

The largest lead of the game was 51-31 with 2:30 to go in the third quarter as BSU went on a 14-4 run after holding a 37-27 lead.

Bartlett hit a pair of 3-pointers and a layup as part of that spurt.

But the Poets scored seven points in a row to finish out the quarter and move within 51-38, a Hood layup finishing the run.

A Bartlett 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter gave the Bears a 54-40 lead but the Poets cut the deficit under 10 points near the midway point.

An 11-2 run put the game even at 62 with 1:37 left.

BSU went back on top, 64-62, with 48 seconds to play when junior Sophie Bradbury (East Bridgewater, Mass.) scored on a drive. Whittier then tied it with seven seconds left on a pair of Perkins free throws.

The Bears had a very good chance to win in regulation but were unable to convert a high percentage shot just before the buzzer.

In OT, Whittier jumped to a 70-66 lead with 1:46 to go, BSU getting just a layup from Bradbury in the opening minute.

A free throw by Gallagher cut the deficit to 70-67 and after a BSU turnover, Bradbury grabbed a rebound and the Bears called timeout.

Azoff then hit a 3-pointer with 28 seconds to go to make it 70-70.

BSU has today off before finishing the Las Vegas trip on Tuesday. The Bears will meet Redlands University of California at 3 p.m. The Bulldogs are off to a 6-1 start with four straight wins.

Whittier plays another New England team on Tuesday at 5 p.m., facing Wesleyan.