(BALTIMORE) – For the third time in four games, and for the fourth time this season, 40 minutes weren't enough to decide the game for the Wilson men's basketball team. This time, however, only one overtime was needed as the Phoenix shut down the Gators and outscored them by 10 in the extra five-minute session.
Wilson did so in spectacular fashion as it overcame a 13-point second half deficit and tied the game on a
Trea Keys (Sr., Columbia, Md. / Wilde Lake) layup with 13 seconds left. Once in overtime,
Jalen Pierce (Jr., Richmond, Va. / Collegiate / Millersville) and
Armani Jones (Jr., Chicago, Ill. / Christ The King / Bryant & Stratton) each scored five points while
Gary Robertson (XXX) added a pair while limiting the Gators to just one basket to take the win.
The Basics
Score: Wilson 83, Notre Dame 73
Venue: MBK Athletic Complex
Records: Wilson 8-10, 6-3 UE; Notre Dame 8-11, 4-4 UE
How It Happened
- Despite the frigid weather outside, the Phoenix lived up to their namesake and got off to a blazing start as they made 10 of their first 12 attempts from the field which resulted in a 24-17 lead nine minutes into the game. The Blue and White hit all four of their first four 3-point shots in the process with Nirobi Peeler Jr. (Jr., Largo, Fla. / Clearwater) draining a pair while Jones and Winston Raford (So., Woodbridge, Va. / Forest Park) swished the other.
- The Gators quickly bounced back and tied the game over the 93 seconds to put Wilson on its heels. Teams exchanged leads a few times late before the NDMU found itself with a 41-37 lead at the break.
- Taking the end of the first half into account, the Gators went on a 20-7 run to take the largest lead of the game which came after an Ahmad Harrison layup on the fast break. It took a while, but Wilson eventually made it pay off. The Phoenix were still down by as many as 12 with six minutes to go before a Jones slam got the proverbial ball rolling. It led to a 15-3 run capped by the aforementioned Keys layup to tie the game.
- Once in overtime, Robertson drove the lane and scored the layup at the start to put Wilson up for good. Jermaine Koger Jr. gave the Gators some life with a layup to make it a two-point game with 74 seconds left, but Keys returned serve with a triple to go up five. Force to foul, Wilson was good on 5-of-6 from the charity stripe to seal the win.
Inside The Numbers
- Jones led all players with 19 points and pulled eight rebounds. Half of his caroms came in overtime to help limit Notre Dame's opportunities who outscored Wilson 12-5 in second-chance points in the game.
- Raford was right behind him with 18 points on the day. He was nearly perfect as he went 6-for-7 from the field, hit 2-of-3 from behind the arc, and was 4-for-5 on free throws. He pulled down
- Robertson finished with 15 points on a solid day where he was 5-for-11 from the field. He matched Jones with a game-high eight rebounds, dished out four assists, and added two steals to his line as well.
- Peeler Jr. added a baker's dozen. He went 5-for-7 on the night with three 3-pointers on four attempts.
- Wilson had its best night of the season on 3-pointers where it made 50.0% (10-of-20) for the night. It's the ninth game this season that the Phoenix have made at least 10 3-pointers.
Up Next
Wilson is back at home with another doubleheader as the Phoenix welcome St. Elizabeth on Saturday. The women will open play at 1 p.m. with the men's game following at 3:30.
