(Peru, Neb.) – After trailing by as many as 11 in the second half, the Peru State College (PSC) Bobcat men's basketball team rallied to force an overtime.  However, in the overtime, it was all about the Park University Pirates as they scored the first nine points before PSC was able to score and won 73-66.
 
With the win in non-conference play, the Pirates improved to 6-5 while the Bobcats dropped their third straight to fall to 5-6 for the season.
 
Game Action
 
The first half was very tight throughout as there were nine ties and 12 lead changes.  Park's largest lead in the half was four points while PSC led by five with 8:43 to go in the half on a bucket by Justin Jones (Edmond, Okla.) in the paint.   
At the end of the half, Park led 34-33.
 
In the second half, PSC trailed by as many as 11, with the latest 11-point lead held by Park at the 13:19 mark when the Pirates were on top 49-38.  The Bobcats went on a 7-0 run after that point in the game.
 
Nate Bohy (Mesa, Ariz.) hit a three-pointer to make it 49-41, which was followed by a fast break bucket by Jarvis Green-Smoot (Norfolk) with 12:38 remaining.  Later, Taylor Christensen (Phoenix, Ariz.) stole a pass and took it in for a Bobcat bucket making the score 49-45 at the 11:17 mark.
 
The teams traded hoops and free throws until PSC made a run to tie it at 53-53.  Derrick Williams (St. Joseph, Mo.) knotted it at 53-53 with a bucket in the paint with 7:16 remaining. The remainder of the half was back and forth with neither team having a lead larger than three points.
 
Park went on top 64-62 with 41 seconds left before Christensen tied it at 25 seconds left.  After Williams got a defensive rebound with five seconds left, he was fouled, but missed the front end of a one and one, forcing the game into overtime.
 
In the overtime, it was all Park for almost the entire five minutes.  Missed shots and turnovers plagued the 'Cats as the Pirates scored the first nine points of the extra stanza before Kody Kirkpatrick (Loami, Ill.) hit a shot in the paint with eight seconds left to score the only Peru State points in OT.
 
Game Statistics
 
Neither team shot the ball very well as PSC made 25 of 67 field goal attempts for 37.3% while Park was 23 of 65 for 35.4%.  From behind the arc, Peru State was five of 20 for 25% while the Pirates were one of seven for 14.3%.  The biggest difference in the game was that Park made 37 trips to the free throw line and made 26 for 70.3%.  The 'Cats were 11 of 18 for 61.1%
 
The Pirates grabbed 50 rebounds compared to PSC's 47.  The Bobcats turned the ball over 18 times while Park only committed 12 turnovers.  Peru State blocked seven Pirate shots while Park swatted away two PSC field goal tries.  
Individual Statistics
 
Christensen scored in double figures for the first time as a Bobcat to lead the team with 15.  Christensen was seven of 11 from the floor and one of two at the charity stripe.  In addition, Christensen grabbed seven rebounds, had two steals, and blocked one shot.
 
The only other Bobcat in double figures was Kirkpatrick who finished with 13 points.  Oppitz was the only player for either team finishing in double digits in rebounding as he grabbed 17 caroms – ten of which were defensive.  Oppitz also blocked four shots.

PARK BOX SCORE
 
Upcoming Games
 
The Bobcats are back in action on Saturday as they return to conference play against the 8-2 Culver-Stockton College Wildcats in the Al Wheeler Activity Center (AWAC) beginning at approximately 4 p.m. following the women's game schedule for 2 p.m.  The Wildcats will be coming into the game off a home victory over Hannibal-LaGrange on Thursday night.
 
Peru State will then take a little time off for finals and the holidays before returning to action on New Year's Eve when they host the Fighting Indians of Haskell Indians Nation University.  Game time is scheduled for 2 p.m. that will follow the women's game, which will begin at noon.