WINONA LAKE – What else could be asked for in a season opener?

Tuesday’s game between Caston and Lakeland Christian Academy had a little bit of everything as players knocked off the rust from the offseason. The visiting Comets squad controlled the game for the majority of the night, but it was not enough as LCA pulled out a 40-37 overtime win to give head coach Allison Kauffman her first career victory.

“Our defense definitely had to step up at the end,” began the first-year head coach. “We got some big stops and started helping each other, playing better team defense and getting some big rebounds that helped us finish out in the end.”

Kauffman’s team was in a unique situation as her team played well for most of the game, but not quite well enough to take a lead. LCA trailed 13-9 after the first quarter, 17-15 at half and 28-21 going into the fourth.

In that final quarter the Cougars found the extra gear they were looking for all game. LCA tied the game 34-34 on a layup from Rachel Sand with 2:10 left in the quarter. It was the first tie since the opening tip. Sand hit another layup and free throw later on to counter three free throws from Caston.

The Cougars had a the final possession of the game but Kauffman was not awarded a timeout as the clock hit zeros, taking a chance at a game-winning shot away from her team. The game went to overtime tied at 37.

Sand came up big in overtime as she gave the Cougars their first lead of the game with a free throw at the 2:18 mark in the extra session. Caston would go 0-4 from the line in overtime and fail to make a single field goal. A missed free throw by LCA’s Gabby Catron led to a Caston rebound. Sand stripped the ball away from the Comet player to draw a foul and would hit another free throw to extend the lead to 39-37 with 1:12 to play.

A flurry of turnovers from both teams eventually led to a trip to the charity stripe for Hannah Delp. She would bump the lead up another point to 40-37. Caston was denied a shot on its final possession.

It was a true team victory as LCA played most of overtime without two of its key players in Carissa Urschalitz and Melissa Goss as both girls fouled out. That allowed for Catron and Brady Gross to have a chance off the bench and both players were huge in the extra period by combining for four rebounds.

The elder Goss was huge before fouling out. She finished her night with 10 points, four assists and a game-high seven steals.

“She just goes out and gives her heart every time she’s on the court,” Kauffman said of Goss. “That effort is especially seen on the defensive end. She’s going after every ball, she’s watching the ball, always ready to jump. She never stop moving. She just gives her everything and you can definitely tell that.”

Sand led the way for LCA with an outstanding night on the court as she ended up with a double-double. Sand recorded 19 points and eleven rebounds, both game highs and added a steal and an assist. Hannah Delp scored seven points, had four steals and four assists. Urschalitz had the team’s other four points.

LCA received a big boost from its home crowd, which included the Grace College women’s basketball team in attendance to support Kauffman, a former player. Having that edge was certainly welcome by Kauffman and the players. Caston was led by Jaycee Denton’s eight points. The Comets were 11-26 from the line, LCA was 11-25.

“It’s great,” Kauffman said of the great crowd support, “At the end of the game, when the crowd was yelling, it fired our girls up. It’s so great to have that support and love from everyone, even if we wouldn’t have won we know they would have been there to support us. That’s the family aspect and that’s what means so much to us.”

LCA (1-0) will host South Bend Career Academy Friday night.