URBANA, Ohio – Urbana rallied in overtime to defeat West Virginia State 90-87 in men's basketball action Wednesday night at the Grimes Center.
UU snapped a three-game losing streak, improving to 6-19 (5-14 MEC) overall, while also ending a five-game slide in the series with West Virginia State (17-7, 12-7 MEC).
The Blue Knights have now recorded their most league wins in three years. Urbana also played its third consecutive game and 17th overall decided by 10 points or less.
Shaunn Monroe continued his late-season rise with a team-high 21 points, including the game-tying layup in the final seconds of regulation. The freshman scored six of the team's 14 points in overtime and blocked the potential game-tying three at the buzzer.
Fellow freshmen
Tehree Horn and
Mario Lacy Jr. also stuffed the stat sheet. Horn finished with 18 points, six boards and a team-high five assists. Lacy recorded his fifth double-double with 17 points and career-high 14 rebounds.
Additionally,
Matthew Ashley logged 10 points while
Kyle Kegley had nine points and nine boards.
Tayler McNeal and
Brandon Michrina were also solid as each played over 20 minutes.
Urbana trailed by one at halftime and then opened the first three minutes of the second half on a 10-0 run to grab the largest lead of the night, 46-37. Horn ignited the run with five points.
But, WVSU responded with a 15-4 run of its own over a four-minute span as Frank Agyemang's layup put the visitors back in front, 52-50.
The two teams would exchange several leads with neither going up by more than four points the rest of the contest.
With a minute left in regulation, Michal Seals put WVSU up 76-72 but Horn quickly answered and a defensive stop by the Blue Knights set up the clutch play by Monroe to send the game to overtime.
The Jackets drew first blood in OT and led 82-81 on Glen Abram's jumper with under two minutes remaining.
However, the Jackets were the first to miss down the stretch as back-to-back layups from Horn and Monroe put Urbana in front 87-83 with 44 seconds. The Blue Knights closed the game 3 of 4 from the field and 3 for 3 at the foul line to hold on for the win.
Jeremiah Moore led WVSU with 18 points and eight boards while Anthony Pittman recorded a double-double effort with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Abram added 16 points as Seals and Agyemang each had 14.
UP NEXT: Urbana will travel to University of Charleston (20-5, 14-5 MEC) for Saturday's 4 p.m. tipoff.
