Box Score (html)
WEATHERFORD, Okla. – For the third time in the past four games, SWOSU's
Kenyan Borders scored the game-deciding points, this time a free throw with 2.0 seconds to play as the Bulldogs held off Hillsdale Baptist 82-81 on Saturday afternoon at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center.
SWOSU overcame an eight-point deficit in the first half and tied the game at 35-35 at halftime. The Bulldogs pulled ahead by nine at 64-55 with 8:30 to play in the game and appeared in control before the Saints came back and took a three-point lead at 76-73 with 2:44 to play.
Emeche Wells tied the game at 76-76 with an old-fashioned three-point play and Borders retook the lead with a 3-pointer. After Marquis Burden of Hillsdale tied the game at 81-81 with two free throws at the 19-second mark, SWOSU put the ball in the hands of their senior point guard, who pump faked and got Adam Morales in the air and drew a foul and two free throws
After a Hillsdale timeout, Borders missed the first free throw but sank the second one for the deciding point. Hillsdale inbounded the ball but Phil Carey stepped out of bounds, giving possession back to the Bulldogs with less than one second to play.
Martell Collins led the Bulldogs with a double-double of 24 points and 12 rebounds while Borders added 23. Wells added 18 points while
Ayo Ojo chipped in 11 and four boards before fouling out in the final minute.
"Give Mark Berokoff and Hillsdale Baptist a whole lot of credit because they played hard and caused several problems for us," SWOSU Head Coach
Bob Battisti said. "We struggled to stop them defensively and we seemed a little offensively challenged as well. That being said, give our kids credit because they found a way to win the game and now we just have to move on."
The victory is the fourth straight for the Bulldogs, who improve to 6-2 on the year heading into a conference game against Southern Nazarene next Saturday at 3:00 pm in the Pioneer Cellular Event Center.
