Pippa Passes: Alice Lloyd College coach JR Hammond executed a balanced attack as six of his players reached double figures to propel the Eagles to a thrilling 97-91 overtime victory over a very talented Brescia University squad.
In the opening half, Alice Lloyd senior guard Trevor Combs and sophomore guard Austin Crisp would combine for 10 early points to lift the home team to a quick 13-8 advantage.
ALC would lead the entire half and by as much as 10 points at 34-24 with 7:01 on the clock following a Cody Stumbo bomb. However, BU rode the play of big man Austin Morris to keep within striking distance. At the half, the Eagles were leading 44-40.
In the second half, Morris would lead his team on a 10-2 run to open the half and give the Bearcats a 50-46 lead, their largest of the game. The hosts then responded with a 16-6 run over the next 8 minutes to lead 62-56 with 11:01 remaining.
Brescia would then chip away at the lead until they regained it at the 6:45 mark following a Jermain Langley hoop (69-68).
Over the next six minutes, the clubs were locked in a fierce duel. ALC would score only to watch BU tie things once more. The crowd received a major scare with 1:47 remaining and the score tied at 76 apiece. Alice Lloyd’s leading scorer Tyler Rogers hit his head on the floor going for a rebound and remained down for several minutes. Fortunately, he was able to leave the floor on his own power, but was lost for the rest of the game.
Brescia held the ball with a 76-76 score and got a three point attempt from guard Kyle Nixon to take the lead with 13 ticks remaining. The shot missed which gave ALC a chance to go for the win. The hosts ran the ball down to 4 seconds before Crisp made a drive, but his shot bounced off with 2 seconds remaining. Teammate Mason Pack got a tip at the buzzer, but his shot rolled off, forcing overtime.
In overtime, Pack looked to make amends for his previous shot as he drilled a deep three to put the hosts ahead to stay. The Eagles would then outscore the Bearcats 21-15 as they controlled the extra five minutes to put away the scrappy visitors.
For Alice Lloyd (11-8; 7-2 KIAC), the seniors paved the way as Rogers had 20 points, 5 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 assists, and 2 steals before leaving the game. He was followed by Combs and Stumbo with 16 apiece. Pack provided a huge boost off the bench with 14 points while Crisp chipped in with 12. Shane Hall also hit double figures with 10 while Dondre Warren and Ryan House added to the cause with 5 and 4 points respectively. Stumbo and Hall led the club with 7 rebounds apiece while Crisp led with 5 assists.