Freshman center Blake Scinta (Louisville, Ky.) knocked down a game-tying three-pointer with 13 seconds left to force overtime, and the Centre College men's basketball team out-scored Transylvania 14-8 in the extra period to win 70-64 in overtime Wednesday, Nov. 28 in Danville, Ky.
The Pioneers (2-2) opened up an 11-point lead (18-7) in the first half and led by as many as 16 (30-14) before taking a nine-point lead (34-25) into the intermission. The Colonels struggled from the field making only 9 of 28 shots (32.1%), while Transylvania hit 48.0% (12-25) of its shots, including 5 of 12 (41.7%) from beyond the three-point arc.
Centre scored 15 of the first 21 points of the second half and tied the game when Scinta made a pair of free throws at the 10:51 mark.
Transylvania answered scoring the next six points and pushed the lead back to seven on a Brandon Rash lay-up to make it 50-43 with 5:38 to play.
Junior Donovan Whiteside (Knoxville, Tenn.) made one of two free throws to make it a four-point game. Scinta added a lay-up, and sophomore Josh Karsner (Frankfort, Ky.) knocked down a pair of free throws to tie the game at 50-50.
After a Transylvania free throw, Karsner drilled a three to give Centre its first lead since the 17:59 mark in the first half, but Rash hit a jumper, was fouled, and made the free throw to put the Pioneers back in front 54-53.
Barrett Meyer was fouled intentionally with 15 seconds left in the game and made a pair of free throws to give Transylvania a two-point lead, but Scinta got the ball just left of the top of the key and hit his first three-point basket of his young career to tie the game and force overtime.
Centre took only three field goal attempts in the extra period, all three-pointers, but hit all three of them along with five three throws, while the Pioneers got off 11 shots and made only three, including 0 for 5 from beyond the arc.
Senior guard Bryon Ellis (Russell Springs, Ky.) hit both of his three-point attempts, and Karsner hit the other. The sophomore also made all five of his free throws attempts in overtime as the Colonels finished with the six-point victory.
Centre shot the ball much better in the second half and overtime. The Colonels made 13 of 24 from the floor (54.2%) and 7 of 12 three-pointers (58.3%) in the final two periods, while limiting Transylvania to only 32.3% (10-31), including 0 for 10 from outside the arc.
Karsner scored a team-high 21 points on 5 of 9 shooting. He hit four of his six three-point attempts and all seven of his free throws, while also grabbing six rebounds.
Scinta finished with 14 points, three rebounds and two blocks. Ellis added 12 points, three rebounds and three assists, and Whiteside chipped in 11 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals in 32 minutes of action.
Ethan Spurlin made 10 of his 20 shots from the field and nine of 13 free throw attempts to finish with a game-high 29-points. He also grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds. Rash was the only other Pioneer to finish in double figures. He scored 12 points and had six rebounds in the defeat.
Centre, now 3-2, will take to the road for the entire month of December staring with its first Southern Athletic Association (SAA) game against Sewanee Saturday, Dec. 1. Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m. CST in Sewanee, Tenn.