MONTGOMERY, West Virginia - Seniors
Jaren Marino and
Leon Cooper, Jr. had 19 points each to lead the WVU Tech men's basketball team to a 92-90 season-opening overtime victory over Davis & Elkins college Saturday afternoon at the Baisi Athletic Center.
The Golden Bears' first victory of the year came in a nip-and-tuck contest that featured eight lead changes and six ties with the largest lead of the night being just 16 points.
Tech trailed the Senators by four points (74-70) with 29 seconds remaining in the second half before freshman
Nathan McNeil hit a three-pointer with just eight seconds left, giving D&E just a one point cushion. The Senators banked two free throws to grow their lead back to 76-73 when sophomore
Ra'Shaud Kincaid answered back with just one second remaining in regulation when nailing a three to send the game into OT, 78-78.
For the game, Marino went 4-for-11 from the field and 10-for-15 from the free throw line while grabbing seven rebounds. Cooper was a perfect 2-for-2 from the arch while shooting 5-for-9 from the field and 7-for-8 in the bonus.
The seniors were assisted on the offensive end by fellow classmate
Sharife Sergeant who finished the afternoon with 13 points. Sergeant also had a strong showing on the glass, recording seven rebounds.
Kincaid registered a stat line that included nine points, a game-high seven assists and four rebounds. Junior
Eddie Gordon and redshirt freshman
Nick Light produced nine points each for the Golden Bears.
As a team, Tech shot 40.6 percent (28-for-69) from the field and 66.7 percent (26-for-39) from the foul line. The Golden Bears held advantages over the Senators in rebounds (50-48), points off turnovers (22-16) and second chance points (27-24).
Tech led the entire first half and took a 38-30 lead into the break. Davis & Elkins trailed by as much as 12 points in the second half before gaining the lead, 53-50 with 11:14 left in regulation. The lead changed seven times before Kincaid made sure Tech had a chance to take the win in OT.
The Senators were led by sophomore Juwan Struthers who produced a game-high 21 points and six rebounds in the loss.
WVU Tech will look for its second win when it hosts Salem International University 8:00 p.m. Tuesday.
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