(Peru, Neb.)—The Peru State men's basketball team is moving on to the Heart Conference Championship after they defeated No. 3 seed Evangel 76-71 in overtime in the Heart semifinals on Saturday afternoon. Peru State improves 24-6 overall while the Valor fall to 22-8 overall.
Below is a breakdown of how the game went…
The Valor got off to a hot start as they were up 8-2 four minutes into the first half. Peru State got its first lead of the game after a 7-0 run to make the score 9-8 with 13 minutes remaining in the first half.
Contributing the run were baskets by
David Wingett Jr. (Winnebago), a three-point shot from
Man Man Baker (Aurora, Colo.) and a layup from
Lorenzo Anderson (Lithonia, Ga.).
The Bobcats and the Valor would then trade baskets for the next several minutes but then Peru State got its lead out to four points up 22-18 after
Jibril Harris (Chicago) made a shot from deep.
The Valor then went on a 5-0 run to retake the lead at 23-22 with around four minutes to play. Peru State and Evangel then went back to trading baskets as the game was tied at 28 apiece with 16 seconds remaining in the first half.
Sayvon Traylor (Atlanta) then hit a shot from downtown with six seconds remaining in the half as the Bobcats took a 31-28 halftime lead. The Valor opened the second half on a 9-2 run to take a 37-33 lead.
Troy Houghton (Omaha) tied the game with a layup at 38 all with just under 16 minutes to play in the game. The Bobcats and Valor were in a back-and-forth affair for much of the second half as neither team could get a lead on the other.
The Valor would get its lead out to three with under ten minutes to play in the second half. Wingett Jr. then knocked down a three to tie the game at 51 all. Evangel then went on a 8-3 run to take a five-point 59-54 lead with a little under seven minutes to play.
Peru State then a little later in the second half tied the game at 60 with an and-one from Traylor. The Bobcats and the Valor again would go back-and-forth, Harris gave the Bobcats the lead with two minutes left up 65-64.
The Bobcats then forced a shot clock violation and Baker hit two huge free throws with a minute to go as Peru State was up 67-64. Evangel was able to get an and-one bucket to tie the game.
Peru State and Evangel would head to overtime all knotted up at 67.
Traylor hit an and-one bucket as the Bobcats would go up 70-67 early in the overtime period. Later in the overtime frame the Bobcats led by three after a layup from Anderson.
The Valor were fouled on a three-point attempt and they went 2-for-3 at the line as they trailed by one 72-71 with two minutes to play.
Neither team could execute down the stretch, then Baker made two huge free throws with only ten seconds remaining as the Bobcats led 74-71.
Baker then made the play of the game as he stole the entry pass and slammed home a dunk as Peru State held on for the 76-71 victory.
Peru State shot 27-of-56 from the field shooting 48.2%, 7-of-22 from beyond the arc shooting 31.8% and 15-of-21 from the charity stripe shooting 71.4%.
Evangel shot 25-of-56 from the floor shooting 44.6%, 4-of-20 from the three-point line shooting 20% and 17-of-25 from the line shooting 68%.
Evangel outscored Peru State 36-34 in the paint, Peru State outscored Evangel 20-13 in points off turnovers, 13-0 in second chance points and both teams had 23 points off the bench.
Traylor led the way in points with 18, Baker and Houghton finished with 13 each, Anderson and Harris each had ten. Harris and Houghton finished with a team-high eight rebounds. Baker had a team-high five assists.
Peru State awaits the winner of the No. 1 seed William Penn/No. 4 seed Baker game. If William Penn wins Peru State will travel to Oskaloosa, Iowa on Tuesday, February 28. If Baker wins Peru State will host on the same date. Time to be determined.
