BENICIA’S EMMA WARD (left) turns the corner against Fairfield’s defense during Thursday night’s overtime victory.

Two key baskets by Elizabeth Sweeney and a free throw from Kaylan Lockrem helped lift Benicia High’s girls varsity basketball team to a 43-42 overtime victory over visiting Fairfield last Thursday.

It was the first full game for Benicia (14-5, 4-3 Solano County Athletic Conference) without star senior Michelle Li, who led the team in most statistical categories before suffering a serious knee injury last Tuesday against Vanden. Li will undergo a MRI on Sunday and may be lost for the rest of the season.

“It’s devastating,” said Benicia head coach Randy Saitz. “She’s a great athlete and I feel really bad for her. But we have to keep going. The other girls are going to have to step up. We can’t quit now.”

“It’s hard and stressful,” added junior guard Calei Mendoza. “We miss her. We have to learn how to play without her.”

Benicia held the Lady Falcons to only two points in the first quarter but couldn’t put Fairfield away. Led by junior guard Ra’Shanae Johnson, who led all scorers with 23 points, the Lady Falcons (4-15, 1-6 SCAC) pulled to within 31-29 after three quarters and used a 7-2 run early in the fourth quarter to take a 36-33 lead with 3:41 remaining.

The Lady Panthers responded with five unanswered free throws spread among Sweeney, Kameron Hatcher and Emma Ward for a 38-36 lead. Johnson tied the game with a drive to the hoop but missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer, sending the game into overtime.

Johnson opened the extra session with a quick bucket, but Sweeney answered with a steal and drive to knot things up at 40-40. A free throw by Lockrem gave Benicia the lead, and Sweeney made it a 3-point game when she put back an offensive rebound with 33 seconds left. Fairfield scored on an offensive rebound with 10 seconds left to make it a one-point game but couldn’t get closer.

“This is a game we had to have and the girls played hard,” Saitz said.

Mendoza took over Li’s role as court leader and paced the Lady Panthers with 15 points.

“I’m going to be a senior next year and will have to lead the team, so I guess this is an early start,” Mendoza said.

Mendoza, Hatcher, Sweeney, Lockrem and Ward played virtually the entire fourth quarter and overtime. Sweeney had eight points and 15 rebounds while Hatcher added nine points.

The Lady Panthers host Bethel on Tuesday.

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