DANVILLE, Ky. – Centre men's basketball battled in a tight one against the Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels, with neither team leading by more than six points for the first 30-plus minutes of the contest. Oglethorpe looked to pull away before a wild Centre comeback at the end of regulation forced the game into overtime. The Colonels went cold in the extra session and lost by a score of 89-85.
 
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
 
- Both teams shot the ball well from long range in the early stages of the game. Marshall Taylor, Drew Wilson and Noah Ring all connected on three-pointers to keep Centre in it as the Colonels took a 20-18 lead on a three from Noah Ring.
- After trading baskets for five minutes, Cade Stinnett capped off a 7-0 Centre run with a driving score. The Colonels took their largest lead of the game at 34-28 on a Wilson three before the Petrels answered with eight straight of their own.
- Blake Stewart's free throws in the final seconds made the game all square at 36-36 to cap off an exciting first half that featured seven lead changes and seven ties.
- The two teams came out firing once again to start the second half. Taylor made a pair of early jumpers to give the Colonels a one-point lead, but the Petrels quickly got the edge back.
- For most of the rest of the second half, the Colonels had to play from behind. They managed to tie the game once and cut the deficit to a single point on seven different occasions, but were never able to get the big score or stop to get over the hump as Oglethorpe extended their lead to ten points.
- Trailing 77-67, The Colonels staged a furious rally to get back in the game. Stinnett, Ring and Taylor made consecutive threes as the Petrels missed two crucial free throws and the lead was suddenly down to a point. After the Petrels made a pair from the line, Stewart connected with a clutch three-pointer to knot the game at 79-79. Oglethorpe missed their final attempt at the buzzer and the game headed to overtime.
- In the extra session, both teams connected on their first shot, but it was a three-pointer from Oglethorpe's Jackson Kemp that proved to be the difference maker, putting Oglethorpe on top for good.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
 
- Stinnett led the Colonels with 22 points. Taylor added 21 before fouling out in the final minute of overtime. Ring came off the bench to score 13, including ten in the second half and overtime.
- Stewart came off the bench to have the best game of his career, scoring seven points and leading all players with three steals.
- Neither team shot the ball well from the free throw line as Centre went 12-22 and Oglethorpe went 10-21
 
NEXT UP
 
The Colonels will close out the home portion of their schedule on Sunday as they host Berry on Senior Day.