JC Younger's three-pointer with .5 seconds left propelled the Presbyterian College men's basketball team to an 80-77 overtime win over VMI in action Monday evening at Cameron Hall in Lexington, Va.
Ben Drake paced the team with a career-high 24 points and 11 rebounds.
Cory Hightower added 23 points as well.
Scoring the Game
A 6-8 deficit early in the first half turned into a 19-8 PC lead with 12:13 remaining after a Blue Hose 13-0 run, which included 10 straight from
Cory Hightower. VMI rallied with six unanswered from Louis Tang to cut the PC lead to just five, 19-14. The Blue Hose responded with an 11-3 run to take a 13-point lead, 30-17, 6:48 to go. The Keydets would not be denied, cutting the margin to six off nine unanswered, capped by a Kamdyn Curfman three-pointer at 3:30, to trail by six, 32-26. VMI would cut the lead to five with just under three to play but ended the half with back-to-back lay-ups, and a
Kody Shubert three-pointer, as well as two
Chris Martin free throws, to go into the locker room leading by 12, 42-30.
Two free throws early in the second half game PC tied its largest lead of the game at 14, 44-30. A 13-point game 15:10 left in the second half, VMI hit back to back three-pointers, kicking off a 23-10 run, highlighted by another three three-pointers, to knot the game at 61-61, 7:02 to go. Travis Evee led the charge with three three-pointers and 11 total points. Two unanswered baskets from Jake Stephens put the Keydets ahead, 65-61, 5:06 on the clock.
Ben Drake did answer a couple of minutes later with back to back baskets to tie the game at 65-65, 2:23 remaining. Neither team scored the next two and a half minutes.
JC Younger broke that drought and the tie with a three-pointer from the left arc to put the Blue Hose on top 68-65, three seconds left. Curfman responded with a three as time expired to send the game to overtime knotted at 68-68.
Neither team could get a foothold in overtime with, a VMI three-point lead being erased by a Hightower three-pointer at 1:54, tying the game at 77-77. Younger followed it up with a three-pointer of his own, this one with .5 seconds remaining to give PC the 80-77 overtime win.
Players of the Game
Ben Drake posted his first career double-double with career-highs in points (24) and rebounds (11).
Cory Hightower followed closely with a career-best 23 points. Travis Evee led VMI with 20 points, while Jake Stephens added 10 rebounds.
Stats of the Game
Presbyterian College shot 46.0% from the field, and 47.6 from beyond the three-point arc, while VMI hit 42.2% from the field, and 38.9% from the three. PC held the 43-36 rebounding advantage and had two more turnovers, 13-11.
Notables
First overtime contest since a 103-101 win over Gardner-Webb, Feb. 9, 2019.
The 11 field goals by
Ben Drake is tied for ninth in the PC Division I record book.
Ben Drake posted career highs in points (24), rebounds (11), steals (3), field goals made (11), and field goal attempts (16).
Cory Hightower recorded a career-best 23 points.
Michael Isler hit a career-best six points and eight rebounds.
For the Record
PC improves to 1-1 on the young season, while VMI drops to 0-3.
Up Next
The Blue Hose open the home season Thursday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m., against Morehead State. The game will air live on the radio at WPCC and on the internet on ESPN+.
