BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- Senior Mia Roy hit a three-pointer for the ages as time expired to force overtime and the Bates women's basketball team won a 68-64 thriller over Roger Williams Friday night in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Bates advances to play No. 7 nationally ranked New York University at 5pm on Saturday, with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line. 

With the Bobcats trailing 58-55 and nine seconds left in regulation, first-year Alexandra Long (Milton, Mass.) delivered an inbounds pass from in front of the Bates bench in the frontcourt, intended for senior Ariana Dalia (Brick, N.Y.), but the ball got tipped away from Dalia into the backcourt. She hustled after the ball and picked it up, but with time winding down.

Dalia heaved a pass towards Roy (Bedford, N.H.), who was able to grab it with one hand along the far sideline, preventing the ball from going out of bounds. Roy took a couple dribbles to her left and launched a three as time expired.

It fell through the net and tied the game, setting off a wild scene on the court as the Bates bench erupted and swarmed Roy in celebration.

But Bates (18-7) still had more work to do. 

The Bobcats fell behind 64-63 with 1:27 left in overtime on a Katie Galligan layup. But Dalia responded by splitting a pair of free throws, tying the game. The Hawks (25-3) missed a shot on the other end and Dalia grabbed the rebound. She recorded a layup with 28 seconds left in overtime on an assist from senior captain Taylor McVeigh (Hanson, Mass.) and Bates never trailed again. Roy recorded a key steal and junior captain Meghan Graff (South Portland, Maine) sank a pair of free throws for the final margin of victory.

Dalia scored a career-high 27 points in the win. She sank 11 of 19 from the floor and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Dalia knocked down a pair of three-pointers in five attempts and recorded three steals. She also blocked a shot in perhaps the greatest performance of her collegiate career.

Graff added 18 points, six rebounds, and a team-high four assists. She made all eight of her free throws. The Bobcats made 20 of 24 from the free throw line as a team while Roger Williams made 14 of 22. Roy finished with 13 points, none bigger than her three-pointer at the buzzer, the only three she made in two attempts on the night.

Galligan led the Hawks with 25 points on 10-16 shooting. Caroline Elie recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Karli Opalka added 10 points and nine rebounds on 5-10 shooting. 

Turnovers and points off turnovers were a big difference in the game. The Hawks turned it over 19 times and Bates scored 25 points off turnovers. Bates turned it over 14 times and Roger Williams scored just 13 points off turnovers.

The game featured 12 ties and nine lead changes. 

Bates led 13-11 after the first quarter but Roger Williams took control in the second quarter, going up 28-23 over the Bobcats at halftime.

A Graff three-pointer with five minutes left in the third quarter put Bates up 31-30. But Opalka answered on the other end with 3:22 left to put Roger Williams back ahead by one. 

The Hawks eventually took a 39-35 lead into the fourth quarter.

The fourth quarter featured some wild swings in momentum, with Bates leading by as much as five and Roger Williams leading by as much as eight. 

With 1:24 left in regulation, the Bobcats found themselves down by seven at 55-48. Roy hit a pair of free throws with 1:07 left and Sam Mancinelli drained one of two on the other end. Now trailing by six, Bates caught a break when Roy got fouled on a three-point attempt with 21 seconds left. She sank all three free throws, cutting the deficit in half.

The Bobcats fouled Galligan and she made just one of two, making the score 57-53 in favor of Roger Williams with 18 seconds remaining. Roy missed a three but Graff grabbed the rebound and got fouled on her put-back attempt with 13 seconds left. She sank both free throws and the Bobcats were within two. Long fouled Galligan, who made only one of two free throws, putting Bates within reach, three points down, to set up Roy's heroics.