ATLANTA - For the second consecutive season, 40 minutes were not enough to determine the winner between Centre men's basketball and host Oglethorpe. This time the game went to the home team as the Stormy Petrels knocked off the Colonels 94-91 in overtime.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
- The Colonels got off to an excellent start as they hit their first five shots. A layup by
Nolan Wahl made it a quick 11-0 lead for Centre before Oglethorpe first got on the board.
- Oglethorpe scored eight in a row to cut the Centre lead to two points with nine minutes left in the half, but the Colonels stemmed the tide as
Hunter Coleman nailed a three, followed by three bombs in a row from
Kalib Thomas to bring the lead back to double digits at 38-28.
- Both teams traded baskets over the final minutes of the half, with
Johnny Djema tipping in a Centre miss for the second time to make it 48-40. A pair of Thomas free throws gave Centre a 50-44 lead at the break.
- To start the second half, the Colonels missed their first nine shots as Oglethorpe went ahead for the first time at 52-50. Centre regrouped and went back up on a three from Izaiyah Villafuerte and two more free throws from Thomas. Another three-pointer from Coleman gave the Colonels a 64-60 lead.
- Over the next five minutes, Oglethorpe outscored Centre 9-1, with all nine points coming from the free throw line, to take a 69-65 edge. The Oglethorpe lead held until the 2:30 mark when
Ryan Shene buried a three to tie the score at 77-77. A jumper by
Drake Ingram put Centre back on top before Oglethorpe tied it back on the next trip.
- In the closing minute, both teams missed shots at the lead, with the Petrels missing two from the line with eight seconds left to keep the score at 79-79 at the end of regulation.
- Thomas made the first basket of the overtime period for the Colonels, but Oglethorpe scored the next eight points to take an 87-81 lead. The Petrels were not perfect at the free throw line all game long, but they made enough in the final minutes of overtime to hold off the Colonels.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Thomas tied for a game high with 23 points, his second consecutive game high, leading four Colonels in double figures.
- Centre held a massive advantage on the glass, outrebounding Oglethorpe 55-39 - including 22-6 on the offensive glass - while enjoying a 28-7 advantage in second chance points. Wahl contributed a double-double, finishing with 13 points and a season high 15 boards.
- While neither team shot well from the free throw line, Oglethorpe enjoyed a huge edge, making 32 of 48 compared to 15 of 24 for Centre.
NEXT UP
Centre's two-week road trip will continue next week as the Colonels play a pair of games in Texas, beginning with a matchup against Southwestern on Jan. 23.
