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17 mbb hilson shot wlu
90
Wheeling Jesuit WJU-M 15-2 (9-2 MEC)
96
Winner West Liberty WLU 16-1 (10-1 MEC)
Wheeling Jesuit WJU-M
15-2 (9-2 MEC)
90
Final
96
West Liberty WLU
16-1 (10-1 MEC)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 OT 2 F
Wheeling Jesuit WJU-M 41 32 9 8 90
West Liberty WLU 40 33 9 14 96

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Chris Myers

Cardinals Outlasted in 2OT by ‘Toppers

WEST LIBERTY, W. Va. – In the game of the first half of the Mountain East Conference season, it took an extra 10 minutes over two overtimes to determine a winner. After three visitors' winning shots were off the mark between the end of regulation and the first overtime, West Liberty outlasted Wheeling Jesuit men's basketball in a 96-90 thriller.
 
A Jarin Hilson followed by a Chase Lawson inside shot went off the rim, the rivals went to the first extra frame, 73-73. After a Preston Boswell driving layup tied the game, Haywood Highsmith's 3-pointer was just off the mark as the teams went to the second overtime, 82-82. The No. 4 Hilltoppers (16-1/10-1 MEC) never trailed in the second overtime as the No. 6 Cardinals (15-2/9-2 MEC) Pat Moseh three-point play made it 92-90, but the home team netted the final four points and win.
 
"We just didn't execute as well as we have been. We defended well and rebounded, but the little things matter when you play a high level team such as boxing out, free throws and taking care of the ball," said WJU head coach Danny Sancomb. "It is tough to win when we go 17 of 31 at the free throw line as we had a tough night. Our guys need to believe they can make it when they step to the line and that's a little thing."
 
"Both teams defended well and West Liberty is a good half-court defensive team now. Though we played well enough to win, it is still but one loss when we leave the lockerroom tonight,"continued Sancomb.
6093
Haywood Highsmith's 1,000-career
point first-half dunk.
 

Highsmith joined the Cardinals 1,000-point club on a dunk under eight minutes into the contest. The junior forward finished with 12 points and now has 1,010 career points. He also grabbed a game-best 17 rebounds, 15 defensively, three blocks and three assists.
 
After contributing only two first-half points, Boswell finished with a team-high 18 points and assisted on three other buckets.
 
"It's expected from him (Preston). I thought he played well on defense and he was very aggressive like we want him to be," explained the Cardinals coach.
 
Moseh chipped in 15 points on 7 of 13 attempts. Dominique Tham made 5 of 7 tries for 12 points, 10 in the opening half, and pulled down six boards.
 
Kyle Ritz added nine points and 13 rebounds, while Drake Goddard drained a pair of treys and 10 points.
 
Dan Monteroso and David Dennis paced West Liberty with 17 points apiece.
 
Both WJU defeats have now come in overtime. The Cardinals lost in a 95-92 overtime decision to the No. 2 Falcons of Fairmont State and now in double overtime to the Hilltoppers. The WJU loss also snapped its 10-game win streak.
 
WJU led the contest by as many as nine points two times, 17-8 and 25-16, midway through the opening stanza. West Liberty chipped away to a single point, 41-40, at the intermission.
 
The Toppers netted the opening second-half two buckets and saw its lead grow to eight point, 65-57, with 9:04 left.
 
WJU turned a 68-61 deficit into a 71-70 advantage with a 10-2 run over a seven-minute period capped on a Boswell triple.
 
After two Monteroso free throws tied the game at 73 with 6.8 seconds, the Cardinals Hilson and Lawson's attempt did not go and took the matchup to overtime.
 
WJU has Friday off, before it hosts Urbana on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 21, in a 4 p.m. contest.

 
-GoCards-
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