JOHNSON, Vt. – The Johnson State College men's basketball team defeated Colby-Sawyer 85-80 in overtime in a North Atlantic Conference (NAC) game on Tuesday night in Carter Gym.
The Badgers improve to 4-6 on the season and 1-3 in the NAC, while the Chargers fall to 4-7 and 2-3 in conference play.
1st Half
Both teams struggled to score through the opening minutes of the game, with the Badgers holding a 13-11 lead midway through the half. The Chargers caught fire through the remainder of the period, going on a 26-13 run to take a 39-24 lead into the break. Dana bean led all scorers with 10 points while also collecting seven rebounds for the Chargers. Rasul Jackson (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Kawaun Chavis (Philadelphia, Pa.) each picked up five points to lead Johnson.
2nd Half
The Badgers slowly closed the gap in the second, going on a 15-8 run in the first six minutes of the half to bring the score to 47-39. Johnson continued to chip away at the Charger lead, tying the game at 66 with five minutes left in the game. With 1:23 left in the game, Taylor Grande hit a three to pull the Chargers ahead 71-70. On the Badgers next possession, Benjamin Holl (Philadelphia, Pa.) pulled up for a three-pointer that rimmed out and the Chargers secured the defensive rebound. Following two made free throws by Grande, the Badgers had one final opportunity coming out of a timeout with 16 seconds remaining. After the initial play broke down, Marqwon Wynn (Wilmington, Del.) heaved up a three with 1.9 remaining, banking the ball in and sending the game to overtime tied at 73. Wynn led the way for the Badgers comeback, scoring 13 points in the half. Bean picked up another 10 points in the period for Colby-Sawyer.
Overtime
The teams traded baskets in the first three minutes of the overtime period, with Colby-Sawyer holding a 80-79 lead with two minutes left. A Chavis layup put the Badgers up for good, and strong defense in the final minutes held the Chargers off the board and led to the 85-80 victory.
Johnson Leaders
Wynn led Johnson with 19 points and five steals, with Chavis tacking on 17 with five rebounds. Jackson added 14 more points for the Badgers.
Colby-Sawyer Leaders
The Chargers were led by bean with a game high 24 points and 18 rebounds. Grande, Jourdain Bell and Patrick Coffey each added 12 points for Colby-Sawyer.
Stat Breakdown
Both teams struggled shooting, with the Badgers holding a 37.5% to 36.6% advantage from the field. Johnson was better from beyond the arc, shooting 41.4% to Colby-Sawyers 22.2%. The Chargers were dominant on the boards, outrebounding the Badgers 58-37. Johnson forced more turnovers by a margin of 23-12, scoring 28 points off of giveaways to Colby-Sawyers 11.
Next Up
Johnson will host UMaine-Farmington on Friday, January 6th in a NAC contest set for a 5:30 start at Carter Gym.