Blackburn hit 10 of 12 free throws over the final two periods of overtime to hold off a furious Webster rival for a 96-92 victory in SLIAC Conference men's basketball action on Wednesday night.
The Beavers (7-7, 4-3 SLIAC) impressed shooting 22 of 28 (78.6 percent) from the free throw line while the Beavers bench contributed with 52 points to win their third game in a row.
Senior Karson Hayes (Little Rock, Arkansas / John L McClellan) top-scored for the Beavers with 21 points on 8-of-14 (57.1 percent) shooting from the field including two three-pointers. Hayes added two rebounds, two steals, and an assist to his stat line.
Junior sensation Raushaun Amos (St. Louis, Missouri / Soldan) added 19 points, four rebounds, three steals, and shot a spectacular 5 of 8 (62.5 percent) from beyond the arc while Senior Duncan King (Peoria, Illinois / Richwoods) scored 15 points to go along with two assists and two steals. Freshman Chanz Aldridge (Hillside, Illinois / St. Joseph's) closed out the double-digit scoring for Blackburn with 13.
Blackburn began the game hot on the Gorloks trail before falling 27-20 at the 6:44 mark. Despite the nine-point deficit, BC did not let up and tied the score, 38-38, with 52 seconds left until a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Aldridge gave the Beavers a 41-38 lead going into halftime.
In a close second half, a layup from Enrique Tankins brought the Beavers lead down to one with four seconds remaining. Two free throws made from Aldridge would Bring the Beavers lead back up to three once more before Webster’s Josh Johnson made an incredible three-point shot to tie the game, forcing overtime.
In a back-and-forth affair in the first overtime, Webster’s Josh Johnson hit two free throws with nine seconds left to make it 86-84 in favor of the Gorloks. On the ensuing possession, a foul by Webster’s Jordan Clay would force King to the line with two seconds remaining in the period. He would come in clutch and make both, forcing double overtime.
The second overtime proved to be BC’s moment, as they would outscore the Gorloks 10-6 to win the game 96-92.
UP NEXT: Blackburn will hit the road Saturday as they face Spalding on Jan. 12 at 3 p.m. in another exciting conference match-up.