ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University men's basketball team survived an overtime thriller with Davis & Elkins, 87-82, Saturday afternoon in a Mountain East Conference game at the Carter Center.
The Mountain Lions (5-5) controlled much of the first half, and led by 12 points, 44-32, at halftime after shooting 56 percent in the opening 20 minutes. The momentum carried over to the start of the second half when sophomore guard
Ethan Heller hit one of his three three-pointers in the game to give CU a 54-36 lead—the 18-point advantage was the largest of the game—at the 17:17 mark.
Davis & Elkins (3-7), however, ripped off a 12-2 run over the next four minutes to get the deficit under ten points. But, Concord kept D&E from making a serious run at the lead until the Senators got within 64-63 at the 7:29 mark.
Up 68-66 on D&E with 4:28 left in regulation, the Mountain Lions saw Davis & Elkins take its first lead since early in the first half with a three-pointer from Gyasi Powell. Heller, though, had an answer on the other end on the ensuing Concord possession as he nailed a three-pointer to push CU back in front.
From there neither team could separate itself down the stretch.
Junior forward
Mohamed Bundu put Concord ahead 77-75 with 44 seconds left in the second half, but D&E's Breland Walton answered with a jumper 22 seconds later. A last-second shot by CU at the second-half buzzer was off the mark.
Powell made one free throw 55 seconds into the overtime session, and that would be the only lead for the Senators. Senior guard/forward
Malik Johnson and Heller combined for three straight layups to give Concord an 83-80 lead with 2:13 left in the extra session as CU held on for an 87-82 win.
Heller scored a season-best 25 points to go with five rebounds and a team-high five assists. Johnson threw in 18 points. Bundu came off the bench to add 12 points. Junior guard
Brandon Kennedy and senior forward
David Bea Mulumba each posted 10 points with Mulumba adding a team-best eight rebounds.
Powell and Walton combined for 63 of the 82 points for Davis & Elkins.
The Mountain Lions finished the game shooting 51.5 percent (35-for-68) while hitting a season-high 10 three-pointers.
In a reschedule of an earlier postponement this season, Concord plays at Wheeling 5:00 p.m. Monday.
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