RALEIGH, NC – In their third season as a member of the USA South, the William Peace University men's basketball team has already established a history of dramatic, down-to-the-wire games against the Averett University Cougars and Wednesday night's affair was no different.  The Pacers let a 15-point lead slip away, but they pulled in the reigns down the stretch to grind out a 91-89 overtime victory.

It was a much needed win for the Pacers, who improve to 8-12 overall with a 3-6 mark in the USA South snapping a three-game skid. It was their second win of the season over the preseason favorite Cougars (14-7, 5-5 USAS), and it played out similarly to the first. WPU held on for a 67-66 win in Danville on January 13 after leading by as many as 21 points. 

WPU is 4-2 against Averett all-time with all six games being decided by five points or less. Wednesday was the second of three games at the Hermann Athletic Center that went into overtime. Averett won the first, 95-90, during the 2013-14 season.

"I feel like we have some momentum and I think this team has a really high ceiling," said head coach Claude Shields. "We showed it a little bit on offense tonight, especially in those first fifteen minutes of the game and then the grittiness at the end of the game."

91 points is the most WPU has scored this season. The Pacers shot 51.6% (32-of-62) from the field, their best clip of the season. WPU also had their most productive night from the free-throw line all season going 19-of-25(76%).

Six different Pacers finished in double-figures. Jalen Vince scored 16 points and established a new program record by dishing out 11 assists, surpassing his previous record of nine in a 100-90 loss to NC Wesleyan back on January 25.  Chris Thomas posted his fourth double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Ryan Emfinger scored 15 points and brought down nine boards. Emfinger also hit the game-winner with only a few ticks remaining.



WPU jumped out to a 15-point lead with just under three minutes left in the first half, but they went 2-of-11 (18%) from the field and coughed it up five times over the next eight minutes. Averett went on a 19-6 run to make it 49-47 at the 14:37 mark. The Cougars evened things up at 57 a couple minutes later and took their first lead of the game, 61-59, with 9:39 to go in the second.

The Pacers trailed by four with two to play, until Jalen Vince found Dakota King under the basket to make it 75-77. Sam Johnson came up with a steal on the Cougars' next possession. Emfinger grabbed an offensive rebound off Johnson's three attempt, and then Vince dropped another dime to King, who tied things up with 49 second left in regulation. Carter Jones grabbed one of his 10 offensive rebounds, which gave Averett two shots to win it in regulation, but neither of them went through.  

Both teams traded buckets the entire overtime period. Trevor West raced down the court off a WPU miss and tied the game, 89-89, with about 15 seconds to go. Vince pushed it up the court and found Emfinger on the wing. Emfinger crossed his defender, drove to the basket and pulled up for the game-winner over the outstretched arms of Jones.   

The game was only tied three times in first 30 minutes of the game. There were seven ties and 10 lead changes in the final 15.

Jones had a career night for the Cougars, recording a double-double of 28 points and 14 rebounds. West finished with three rebounds, six assists and two steals. Charles Bryant added 12 points, eight boards and two steals, while Bradley Robinson chipped in with 11 points, six rebounds and three assists.

The WPU men's basketball team travels down south for a pair of games this weekend. The Pacers take on Huntingdon Saturday at 4:00 p.m. before turning around on Sunday for a 3:00 p.m. game at LaGrange.   

For the latest news and updates from William Peace University Athletics, please visit: http://gopeacepacers.com/.


           

Claude Shields Postgame: Averett University (2.3.2016)