Box Score (html)
WEATHERFORD, Okla. – Martell Collins connected on a step-back three from the right wing with 5.4 seconds remaining, capping off a SWOSU comeback from 11 points down that ended in a 71-69 Bulldog victory over Southern Arkansas.
SAU ended the first half on a 7-0 run, taking a 30-21 lead to the break after a first half that saw SWOSU's top two scorers – Collins and
Markeise Champion – combined to shoot 2-for-15 from the field with six points to their credit. That lead would balloon to 11 midway through the second half at 62-51 before the Collins & Champion duo spearheaded a comeback by their Bulldog team.
The spark of the comeback was the rare four-point play by Collins, who took a handoff from
Luke Lewallen and elevated from the right wing for a triple while being hit by SAU's Jaron Davis. His free throw made it 62-55, before a defensive stop and another three from Collins got the Dawgs within four at 62-58. The lead made its way back up to eight points before
Collin Jennings knocked down two free throws and a transition three to make it a two-point game with 2:57 to play.
Southern Arkansas again had a rebuttal, getting a basket just under the two minute mark to get back up by five, but the Muleriders missed the front end of two 1-and-1 opportunities to keep the window of opportunity open for the Bulldogs. Collins scored SWOSU's final seven points of the contest, the first a jumper at 1:30 that made it 69-66.
Nick Shoemaker and
Markeise Champion each had attempts from long range to tie the game come off the rim, but Wells pulled down the rebound and Collins hit two free throws to make it a one-point game, 69-68, with 22 seconds remaining.
SWOSU Head Coach
Bob Battisti called for time after the second of Collins free throws, leaving Southern Arkansas inbounding the ball underneath the SWOSU basket. Their inbound pass was caught by De'Sean Dockery, who stepped out of bounds in front of the Bulldogs bench to give SWOSU one final opportunity to win the ball game.
The play drawn up for Collins found him posted up on the left block, where he backed in and attempted a shot that was altered by SAU and ended up in the arms of
Juwan Newmen, who quickly got the ball back out to the perimeter to reset. Collins never quit on the play and quickly regathered and found himself with the ball on the right wing, where he shook his defender with a step back and fired the game-winner, which found the bottom of the net with 5.4 seconds to play.
Southern Arkansas used their final timeout to draw up a play, but Wells came from behind to knock the ball away from Jaron Davis and into the hands of Shoemaker as time expired.
Collins finished with 25 points – 24 in the second half – and seven rebounds after hitting 7-of-17 field goals and 5-of-9 three-pointers in 35 minutes of action. Jennings had 13 points and five rebounds in 19 minutes of action before fouling out in the closing minutes. Champion had a tough shooting night, connecting on just 4-of-14 field goals, but his 11 points and two assists were crucial to the comeback effort.
Newmen scored six points and grabbed 11 rebounds, including three offensive, in a game that saw the Bulldogs outrebounded by the larger SAU front line 43-to-34. Wells and Shoemaker had eight points apiece while Lewallen set a new career-best with five assists.
"We had a bunch of players who pulled together and refused to give up today," Battisti said. "It all starts with the seniors and I'm blessed to have those five players leading this team. I thought we were very aggressive for the most part, we just struggled to make shots until we hit some big baskets in the final minutes. Martell showed his true character, which includes his love for SWOSU and his teammates, by the way he responded in the second half and I couldn't be more proud of this effort."
The victory breaks a tie between SWOSU (13-8, 9-6 GAC) in the league standings and leaves SWOSU tied for fourth with Southern Nazarene. The Bulldogs head on the road next Thursday to face East Central, a team tied for second in the standings.
