RICHMOND -- The Earlham College women's basketball team began its 2021-22 season with a heartbreaking overtime loss to Olivet College 84-81.

Amari Bradford scored a double-double to lead the Quakers in points and rebounds. The freshman scored 25 and collected 11 boards on the evening. 

Megan Helmkamp scored 14 points and shot a perfect 3-for-3 from 3-point range.

Olivet jumped out to a 15-4 lead in the first five minutes of play. Earlham worked to battle back into contention by the end of the frame and carried a five-point deficit into the break. 

Earlham had a hot start to the second quarter and took the lead with 3:30 remaining in the half. A pair of jump shots in the final 90 seconds of play put the Comets up at halftime. 

The Quakers began the second half with an 11-2 run and jumped out to a four-point lead. Consecutive 3-pointers from Helmkamp gave the home squad an eight-point lead midway through the frame. The Quakers continued to play strong through the quarter and led by five points by the end. 

Earlham led by as many as 11 points in the final quarter or regulation, but a 21-3 run from Olivet evaporated the lead. The Quakers trailed by eight points with two minutes remaining and had to fight back to force overtime. A layup with 13 seconds remaining from Bradford equaled the score. 

The Comets maintained a lead through the entirety of overtime, and stretched it out to as many as five points. Earlham closed back in toward the end of the period but could not draw level once again. 

Earlham will be back in action on Saturday as Muskingum University comes to Druley Performance Gym for a 3 pm contest.