LOS ANGELES — "Who needs a Super Bowl," one fan yelled with the score still tied at 56 after the first overtime.

It wasn't for a championship, there weren't any multi-million dollar commercial spots, Madonna didn't perform in a spartan-cheerleader looking outfit at halftime, and no players proclaimed any immediate plans to go to Disney World following the game.

But for the 234 emotionally invested fans that witnessed the most exciting Oxy women's hoops game of the season, it might have been as good as Super Bowl XLVI.

Liz Little (Littleton, Colo.) did her best Eli Manning, scoring 17 points to go along with 11 rebounds — both career highs — and the Tigers (18-3) survived 50 minutes of frantic full-court pressure just long enough to beat Chapman University (12-10) for the second time this season, 63-61 in double overtime.

At the end of regulation both teams had opportunities to win it. After Chapman's Stephanie Servin tied the game at 51, Stephanie Scamman (Northridge) missed a 15-foot jumper, and Chapman failed get a shot off before the buzzer sounded on the last possession of regulation.

The first overtime belonged to Chapman until Little buried her biggest shot of the game, a 3-pointer with 1:09 left, extending the game five more minutes.

Then, with 34 seconds left in the second overtime, Oxy's Makenzie Brandon (Seattle) found Katelyn Rowe underneath the bucket for a layup, giving the Tigers a three-point lead. Chapman's Anne Yoshimura made a pair of free throws with 20 seconds to bring Chapman within one, but Brandon hit one of two at the other end and Yoshimura's final 3-point attempt missed well short as time expired.

Little, a 5-foot-7 guard who's averaging less than two rebounds per game this season, grabbed four of her 11 rebounds at the offensive end, keeping key possessions alive for the Tigers in the first half.

"I've never been a rebounder, but I really wanted to make a point of getting on the boards and it's really helped my overall game," Little said.

On Sunday, it helped Oxy's overall game. In the first half it took the pressure off of Oxy's offense against the tough run-and-jump full-court pressure defense the Panthers have become known for under ninth-year head coach Carol Jue.

Her points came at crucial moments.

"It was awesome. I've been working on my shot and it's nice to have them drop," said Little, who's now scored in double figures in each of her last three games. "It came down to making plays and it was a great team win."

Little, a team captain, has been in and out of the starting lineup. Her career night was not just fun for her, but a demonstration of the rewards extra effort can bring.

"I think (Little) is a testament that hard work pays dividends," Occidental coach Heidi VanDerveer said. "Very few players actually work as hard as her. It's fun to see her be rewarded for it, and today was an instant classic for Liz."

Although they are still technically not SCIAC opponents until next season, Oxy and Chapman have quite a rivalry that keeps growing every time the teams meet.

The first time they played this year, it took a layup from Rowe as time expired for the Tigers to beat the Panthers 59-57. The last time they played an overtime game was 2009 when Chapman beat Oxy 70-65 in the first round of the NCAA Division III playoffs.

Recently, the women of Eagle Rock have had the upper hand over their Orange County foe. Oxy has won the last four meetings, dating back to the postseason thriller.

Neither of Southern California's leading scorers — Oxy's Brandon (17.6) and Chapman's Kimi Takaoka (16.7) — were particularly impressive.

Brandon, a frontrunner for player of the year honors who's already been named the SCIAC Female Student-Athlete of the Week four times this season, scored 11 points and grabbed nine boards while getting double and triple teamed, a mild night by her standards.

Takaoka's night was even quieter. The 5-foot-6 guard had just two points in 37 minutes played.

The inside play for both teams clashed throughout. Chapman center Brandi Hood led the game with 18 points and 14 rebounds, and Oxy's Rowe and Elizabeth Messick (Reno, Nev.) blocked seven and three shots respectively.

Early in the game, Chapman was in control.

The Tigers made just one field goal in the first 10 minutes, falling behind 13-2.

Scamman finally broke Oxy's six-minute offensive drought with a 15-foot jumper, then Oxy's Crystal Goodwin hit a pair of 3-pointers and The Tigers finished the half down 28-20.

Goodwin finished with 10 points, the third time she's been in double digits this season.

"Crystal came in and gave us poise," VanDerveer said, adding that she was pleased with all of the Oxy guards.  "I thought all of our guards really stepped up."

To start the second half, Brandon, Scamman and Marquisha Corley (Tucson, Ariz.) all had buckets during a 6-2 that gave Oxy to tie the game at 28. The Tigers didn't take their first lead until Little hit a 3-pointer to go up 33-30 with 15 minutes left.

Scamman finished with 12 points for the Tigers, and Emily McCoy had 14 and Yoshimura 13 for the Panthers.

The game's drama often came from its ugliness. Both teams combined for 56 turnovers and shot less than 40 percent (Oxy 38 percent and Chapman 30 percent).

Scamman led the game with four assists and three steals for the Tigers.

Oxy goes back to work in SCIAC play against fellow first-place Redlands on the road on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., trying to take control of first in its quest to become just the second team to win at least five consecutive SCIAC championships in a row — only Pomona-Pitzer (from 1981-85) won five conference titles in a row.