By Robert Hudson

The Selma Times-Journal

 

They needed a little extra time to do so, but the Concordia College Hornets’ men’s basketball team put away the Faulkner University Eagles 82-79 in overtime at home Monday.

The Hornets (3-5) relied on a 48-point performance from Travis Rosco and prior overtime experience to defeat the Eagles.

“We were fortunate to be in that same situation once here at home against Tougaloo (College) where we went into double overtime,” said Hornets’ head coach Keydrick Barlow. “It’s something we’ve already seen. We talked about finishing games, knocking down free throws and getting stops on the other end, and that’s what we did tonight.”

The Hornets trailed 66-64 with three seconds left, when Roscoe was fouled on a three-point attempt sending him to the line with a chance to win, but he would only convert two of three from the line to send the game to overtime.

After exchanging a pair of successful trips to the free throw line to open the overtime period, the Hornets would take a 70-68 lead as Wesley Conor would score from down low.

The Eagles would even the score, but Roscoe would answer back with a mid-range jumper to make the score 72-70 with 2:30 remaining.

Roscoe would spark the Hornets, as they came back off an Eagles’ turnover and John Nixon would sink a basket in the lane to put Concordia ahead again 74-72.

Capitalizing off Eagles’ turnovers and missed baskets, Roscoe would hit four free throws from the line and Marcus Sutton would hit a pair of his own to give Concordia a 80-72 lead with 0:47 remaining.

But the Eagles’ weren’t finished, as they capitalized off a Hornets’ missed free throw and stolen inbound pass, pulling within reach at 82-79 with 2.4 seconds remaining.

The Eagles would get one last shot to tie the game, but they’d have to go the length of the court to do so. But it was Roscoe who saved the day, as he stole the Eagles’ inbound pass to seal the victory. Barlow said his team takes pride in capturing another home victory and is glad to get the win over the Eagles after falling to them earlier in the season.

“We definitely want to protect our house, that’s one of our goals of the season, to be undefeated at home,” Barlow said. “Anybody that comes here, this is the Hornets’ nest right here. We’re going to fight, be physical, tough and gritty and that’s what we were doing tonight.”

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