(CHAMBERSBURG, Pa.) – The record books went up in flames as Wilson defeated Valley Forge in a triple-overtime United East barnburner on Sunday afternoon. Not only did the Phoenix score a program record 116 points, but
Armani Jones (Jr., Chicago, Ill. / Christ The King / Bryant & Stratton) smashed the program record for most rebounds in a single game with 24.
The triple-overtime was a first for the program as well while the combined 222 points scored also set a new single game mark for Wilson.
It was arguably the grittiest win the Blue and White has ever had as they were tied with the Patriots at the end of the first four periods. Neither team led by more than 10 points which only took place in the final overtime period as a 3-point barrage helped the Phoenix pull away.
The Basics
Score: Wilson 116, Valley Forge 106
Venue: Gannett Field House
Records: Wilson 6-9, 4-2 UE; Valley Forge 6-8, 1-5 UE
How It Happened
- With time winding down in regulation, Valley Forge held a four-point lead over Wilson with six seconds left. A quick layup by Gary Robertson (Gr., Washington, D.C. / Potomac / Bryant & Stratton) gave the Phoenix some hope as they fouled on the inbounds. UVF made the front end, but a miss on the second allowed Jones to pull down the rebound and drain a half-court heave to tie the game with .5 left on the clock to send it to overtime.
- In the first overtime a Jalen Pierce (Jr., Richmond, Va. / Collegiate / Millersville) 3-pointer and a Jones free throw gave Wilson an 85-83 lead with 13 seconds left, but this time Valley Forge returned the favor as a Christian Renninger layup forced another extra five minutes. The Patriots took a 93-89 lead after a pair of free throws with 1:46 left before Wilson tied it with a Robertson driving layup to add a third OT period.
- Despite running on fumes, Winston Raford (So., Woodbridge, Va. / Forest Park) kept the fire burning and set the tone at the start of the third overtime with a 3-pointer from the wing on a dish from Nirobi Peeler Jr. (Jr., Largo, Fla. / Clearwater). He was just getting started, and as the saying goes, "Better late than never." Raford went on to add another two 3-pointers, the last of which put Wilson ahead 107-102 with 1:53 to go. They were his only points of the game. There was still work to be done, but the Phoenix made sure to take care of business. Jaylin Davis (Jr., Hampton, Va. / Kecoughtan / Lynchburg) added to the momentum buildup with a layup followed by an and-one free throw. Four free throws by Jones and another by Peeler Jr. sealed the deal.
Inside The Numbers
- Jones had a career day with a game-high 34 points and 24 rebounds. He was 9-for-15 overall from the field and 4-for-8 from 3-point range. At the free throw line he was 12-for-16.
- The two dozen rebounds by Jones is tied for the second-most in not just Division III, but the entirety of the NCAA.
- Trea Keys (Sr., Columbia, Md. / Wilde Lake / Howard C.C.) was the early catalyst for the Wilson offense and finished with 21 points, 14 of which came in the first half. He was 8-for-15 overall and 5-for-10 from behind the arc. It's second 20-point game in as many games, and third in the last five.
- Robertson finished with 18. Ten of those came in overtime alone where he was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field and 4-for-5 from the free throw line. He was one assist shy of matching his season high.
- Peeler Jr. had his best game since joining the team at the break and finished with 17 points. He was second on the team with seven rebounds and added four assists.
- Pierce reached double-figures for the eighth time in the last nine games. He finished with 11 points after he went 4-for-9 from the field and 3-for-4 from range.
- Wilson made a season-best 16 3-pointers. Seven of those came in the three overtime periods with four alone in the third overtime.
- Despite an extra 15 minutes of gameplay, it was a relatively clean game with 29 combined turnovers.
- Wilson improves to 8-0 all-time against Valley Forge.
- This is the third time the Phoenix have reached the century mark against the Patriots.
Up Next
Wilson will be back in action Tuesday when it hosts Penn State Brandywine. It will be another doubleheader with the women starting at 5 p.m. and the men following at 7:30.
