Cowboys Win Overtime Thriller At LeTourneau
By: Eric Boynton
Updated: January 5, 2013
LONGVIEW, Texas - Hardin-Simmons' men's basketball
team overcame a seven-point deficit in the final 2:04 of regulation to force
overtime and then Eric Taylor's 3-pointer with :26 to play in overtime gave HSU
a 79-78 American Southwest Conference win on Saturday at the Solheim Center in
Longview.
The Cowboys jumped out
quickly to a 19-10 lead in the first half and led most of the half and led 32-29
at halftime. HSU still led 47-43 with 10:57 to play when the Yellowjackets went
on a 13-3 run to take a 56-50 lead with 7:40 to play.
LU still led 71-64
with 2:04 to play when the Cowboys came to life. Titus Mims hit a layup and then
Eric Taylor scored a layup after getting a steal to make it 71-68 with 1:39 to
play. Mims then was fouled on the Cowboys' next possession after HSU had forced
another stop. He hit both free throws to make it 71-70 with :49 to play.
Justin Jones then
scored for LeTourneau and the Cowboys had the ball with a chance to tie. John
Derr, who had struggled shooting most of the day hit a 3-pointer from the top of
the key to tie the game with :22 to play. HSU then stopped LeTourneau one more
time to force overtime.
In the extra session,
Ladaria Brown gave the Yellowjackets a 78-75 lead with 2:12 to play. Jeff
Holland split a pair of free throws for the Cowboys and then the teams exchanged
missed 3-pointers.
HSU rebounded a
LeTourneau miss and had a chance to take the lead and this time Taylor, who was
0-for-8 on the day from 3-point range and had airballed a triple on the previous
possession, did not hesitate when Darius Singletary drove the lane and found him
wide open in the left wing. He buried the shot and HSU forced a turnover on the
final possession.
Singletary led the
Cowboys with 24 points and Titus Mims had 20 points and Taylor had 11.
Ladaria Brown led
LeTourneau with 15points, Chad Williams and Kendrae Carter each scored 14 points
and Deitrich Williams added 12 points.
The Cowboys head into
ASC West play in a three-way tie for first place with Concordia and Mary
Hardin-Baylor at 6-1. HSU plays at Concordia on Thursday and Mary Hardin-Baylor
on Saturday.
