Men's Basketball Wins Game in Overtime

BARBOURVILLE, Ky.- The men's basketball team won an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) overtime thriller on Monday. The team beat the Union Commonwealth Bulldogs 88-77. 

Through the first five minutes, neither team led by more than two points. Union Commonwealth broke that trend with a three-pointer giving them a 14-9 lead at the 14:01 mark. Charles Neverdon tied the game 14-14 following a Cory Marshall shot with a three-pointer. The opponents broke the tie and continued to hold the league, building their lead to 32-19 with 3:46 remaining in the first half. TWU cut the lead down to four by halftime, using shots by Armando Cuardado, JJ Rueckert, Neverdon, and Stratton Lovvorn to move the score to 36-32. 

Four minutes into the second half, Cuardado's layup gave the Bulldogs a 45-43 lead. It was a brief lead as Union Commonwealth scored 11 straight points to take back the lead. TWU came roaring back, cutting the Union Commonwealth lead to one point on Aaron Layne's three-pointer, making the score 54-53 and setting in motion back-and-forth action. Omarion Barber gave Tennessee Wesleyan a 62-61 on an offensive putback. Five straight points by Layne and a free throw by Cuardado moved the team's lead to 68-63 and a pair of free throws by Reshaun Hampton made the score 70-65. Union Commonwealth scored five straight points to fofce overtime.

The first few minutes of overtime saw TWU score five straight points, coming from the hands of Hampton and Barber. After a basket by Union, Tennessee Wesleyan scored six straight points to move ahead 81-72. TWU won the free throw game down the stretch to get the 88-77 win in overtime. 

Hampton led the team with 18 points to go along with 17 points from Cuardado, 14 from Layne, 12 from Neverdon, and 10 from Barber.

The win moved the team's record to 10-9 overall and 9-6 in the AAC.