FRANKFORT, Ky.  – The Rogers State women's basketball team topped No. 6-ranked University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) 80-73 in overtime at the 2012 NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship presented by Kentuckytourism.com from the Frankfort Convention Center late Wednesday night.

The overtime victory marked the first win in NAIA postseason play for RSU in the program's short five year history.

RSU and the Patriots traded baskets in the opening 10 minutes of the contest but coach Amy Williams' squad took off in the final 5:49 of the first stanza. The lone bucket of the game by Sasha Barnes sparked the 9-1 run for the Cats as point guard Rician Walker fueled the swing in favor of RSU with five of her seven total points coming over the four minute stretch. The Hillcats entered the intermission up 29-24.

The Hillcats turned a five point lead into an 11 point advantage off a layup by Logan Froese off a Leah Smith assists with 17:10 to go. Cumberlands was able to fight back and take a two point lead off a traditional 3-point play by Lauren Wombles with 13:21 on the clock.

Gianna Woods sunk a field goal to stretch RSU ahead by seven with 4:27 remaining, 56-49. The Patriots weren't done as they were able to trim the lead down to one and eventually tie the contest on a Haley Ratliff field goal with nine seconds. Sierra Cornwell's contested field goal attempt in the middle of the lane with seconds remaining sent the game to extra time at 63-63.

In the extra period the Hillcat outscored the Patriots 17-10 as a pair of Gianna Woods free throws put the Cats up by eight at 78-70 with 18 seconds left in overtime. RSU came away with its first NAIA postseason victory claiming the 80-73 final.

Cumberland's Lauren Wombles led all scorers with 35 points while the senior hauled in eight rebounds. The Patriots outrebounded RSU 43-35 in the game. University of the Cumberlands (28-4) shot 35.6 percent from the field while knocking in an impressive 86.2 percent from the charity stripe.

Logan Froese led the Hillcat scoring with 21 points as the junior from Claremore, Okla. had nine points in the first half. Leah Smith turned a four point opening stanza into a 16 point game total going 6-of-14 from the field. Sierra Cornwell tallied 14 points for the Hillcats while nabbing three steals. Gianna Woods, held scoreless in the first half while in foul trouble, finished with 10 points for the Cats.

RSU shot 47.5 percent from the field and hit 30 percent from behind the arc as the Cats went 21-of-30 from the free throw line.

Rogers State (21-11) will face Shorter (Ga.) on Friday at 6:15 p.m. EST from the Frankfort Convention Center in the second round of the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship. Shorter upset the No. 3-seeded Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 84-83 earlier Wednesday. The game will be carried with live audio streaming at www.rsuhillcats.com/live.