Lauren Gilbert scored her seventh goal on a free position in overtime and No. 5 Northwestern avenged its NCAA semifinal loss to No. 3 Syracuse with a 16-15 victory in a top-five thriller Tuesday in Evanston, Illinois.

Lauren Gilbert’s th goal on a free position in overtime and No. 5 @NULax comes back to beat No. 3 Syracuse 16-15.

Hawryschuk 6G, 3A for Cuse in an absolute thriller in Evanston. pic.twitter.com/VSxHqixPAZ

— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) March 2, 2022

The Wildcats (4-1) scored three goals in the last 3:23 of regulation — including Gilbert’s equalizer with 55 seconds left — to send it to OT. They’ve won four straight games since getting blown out by No. 1 Boston College in the season opener Feb. 12.

Jill Girardi scored five goals and corralled 13 draw controls, including a critical one in overtime. After a timeout, Gilbert was fouled while dodging along the 8-meter arc. On the restart, she darted in from the first hash on the left and beat three crashing defenders to the goal, scoring on a low bouncer to end the game.

The Orange (4-1) lost despite leading for most of the second half. Trailing 8-5 at halftime, they scored six unanswered goals and led 13-10 going into the fourth quarter.

Syracuse, which went to overtime with Notre Dame on Saturday and won, seemed to have the game in hand when Emily Hawryschuk (six goals, three assists) scored to make it 15-12 with 4:23 remaining.

But Brennan Dwyer (two goals, four draw controls) won the next two draws as Gilbert and then Girardi scored to make it a one-goal game before Gilbert tied it in the last minute.

Syracuse had a chance to win it on the last possession of regulation, but Madison Doucette made a save on Hawryschuk with 16 seconds left.

Another top-five nonconference encounter with an ACC power looms Sunday, as Northwestern visits No. 2 North Carolina.

NAVY UPSETS NO. 15 DREXEL

Navy rebounded from its first loss of the season to defeat No. 15 Drexel 13-6 in Philadelphia. Reagan Roelofs led the way with four goals and six draw controls.

Coming off a 10-9 loss to Saint Joseph’s, the Midshipmen (5-1) were on fire Tuesday. They shot better than 40 percent (13-for-30) while limiting the Dragons (3-1) to just two goals in the first 57 minutes. Goalie Jo Torres made 12 saves to pick up the win.

NOTABLE

• On the same day she earned USA Lacrosse Magazine Player of the Week honors for her spectacular performance against Florida, Maryland’s Aurora Cordingley picked up where she left off with five goals Tuesday in a 15-2 win over Delaware. The Terps, 4-0 and ranked No. 4 nationally, blanked the Blue Hens until late in the third quarter.

• Olivia Markert scored seven goals, including the go-ahead tally with 3:38 remaining, to lift unbeaten Yale to a 13-12 win over Quinnipiac. The Bobcats rallied from a five-goal deficit to tie the game before Markert put it away.

HOW THE TOP 20 FARED

No. 5 Northwestern 16, No. 3 Syracuse 15 (OT)
No. 4 Maryland 15, Delaware 2
Navy 13, No. 15 Drexel 6

FULL SCOREBOARD

Brown 14, Holy Cross 13
Louisville 22, Butler 8
No. 4 Maryland 15, Delaware 2
Navy 13, No. 15 Drexel 6
No. 5 Northwestern 16, No. 3 Syracuse 15 (OT)
Yale 13, Quinnipiac 12