PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia University women's basketball team locked up the top seed in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference's (CACC) southern division for the CACC Tournament with an 80-77 overtime victory over USciences Tuesday night in Bobby Morgan Arena.

Philadelphia improves its record to 18-5 overall and remains perfect in conference play with a 16-0 record. The Rams also extend their winning streak to 10 games, the team's first 10-game winning streak since the 2005-06 season.

USciences is now 17-7 overall, 12-5 against the CACC.

Sophomore forward Mary Newell (Lansdale, Pa./Villa Joseph Marie) paced the Rams with 18 points, on 8-of-13 shooting, and tied a career-high with 15 rebounds. Senior guard Samantha Morris poured in 15 points. In overtime, Newell and Morris scored six points each.

Junior guards Najah Jacobs (Philadelphia, Pa./Central) and Monica Schacker (Doylestown, Pa./Germantown Academy) contributed 13 and 11 points, respectively.

After USciences took a 75-74 lead on a Brianne Traub 3-point play with 2:25 left in the extra session, Philadelphia scored five straight points, capped off by a 1-for-2 trip at the free throw line from Morris with 1:07 to go, to take a 79-75 lead.

Camille McPherson made two free throws at the 53-second mark to draw the Devils within 79-77.

With 11 seconds to go, Morris made the first of two free throw attempts to put the Rams up three. After Morris missed the second free throw, USciences' Jessica Sylvester grabbed the rebound to give the home team a shot at the tie. Sylvester's game-tying attempt with seven seconds left was short and allowed Philadelphia to escape with the win.

The Rams erased a 41-35 second half deficit with an 11-3 run to move ahead 46-44 on a Newell layup at the 12:35 mark. Philadelphia's advantage grew to six  (54-48) when Jacobs connected from behind the arc with 9:08 left.

USciences was able to score six straight points, three from Traub and Kaitlyn Schmid, to knot the score at 61. The Devils took a 65-63 lead when Megan Wolf made a layup with 3:47 left.

Senior guard Megan Finn (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) tied the game at 65 with 3:34 left and Schacker put the Rams up 68-65 26 seconds later with a 3-pointer.

Wolf would make a jumper with 1:10 to go to tie the score at 68 and send the game to overtime.

Philadelphia led 32-25 when Schacker drained a three with 4:15 left in the first half. The Devils scored nine of the half's final 10 points to lead 34-33 at halftime.

Traub led the Devils with 20 points and eight rebounds. Schmid and McPherson tallied 13 points each.

Philadelphia heads to Holy Family for a CACC clash on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 6 p.m.