(Peru, Neb.)- Ty Griggs drove the length of the floor and finished a contested layup with three seconds remaining as Peru State edged (RV) MidAmerica Nazarene 68-66 in a back-and-forth NAIA men's basketball matchup Wednesday night at the Al Wheeler Activity Center.
The Bobcats, who trailed by five at halftime, leaned on a balanced offensive attack and timely defense to erase a 37-32 deficit and outscore the Pioneers 36-29 after the break. Griggs' game-winner capped a wild final 90 seconds that saw three lead changes and two ties, as Peru State closed out one of its most dramatic wins of the season.
MidAmerica Nazarene appeared poised to escape with a road victory after Malachi Bryant hit a jumper to tie the game at 65-65 with 1:31 to play, then Caden Kaberline split a pair of free throws to give the Pioneers a 66-65 lead with 31 seconds left. Peru State answered by attacking the paint and getting to the line, where Quentin Wright converted one free throw to knot the score at 66-66 with five seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, the Bobcats forced a turnover and quickly pushed the ball ahead to Griggs, who attacked the lane and finished through traffic for the decisive basket.
The closing sequence capped a strong second half from Peru State's perimeter trio of Griggs, Wright and Denim Johnson. Griggs, an Omaha, Nebraska, native, finished with 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting and two 3-pointers while logging a team-high 36 minutes. Wright matched him with 17 points of his own, going 7-for-9 from the floor and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc, and hit the critical free throw in the final seconds to set up the game-winning play.
Johnson provided a major lift in the frontcourt, pouring in a game-high 19 points on an efficient 9-for-11 shooting night, including 1-for-2 from 3-point range. He added six rebounds, three blocks and two assists in 25 minutes as the Bobcats held a narrow 31-29 edge on the glass and protected the rim with eight total blocks. Peru State shot 53.7% from the field and 38.9% from deep, using that efficiency to offset a 3-for-9 performance at the free-throw line.
MidAmerica Nazarene, which shot an efficient 50% from the field and 40% from 3-point range, stayed within striking distance throughout the second half. Bryant led the Pioneers with 17 points, three rebounds and three assists on 8-for-14 shooting, while Kaberline added 11 points and five boards, going 3-for-6 from the floor and 5-for-9 at the line. Uriah Boutte hit a crucial 3-pointer with just over six minutes left to pull the Pioneers within 59-57, setting up the tense finish.
Despite committing 10 turnovers to MidAmerica Nazarene's eight and being whistled for more fouls, Peru State's defense came up with timely stops, including the late disruption that led to Griggs' winning drive. The Bobcats also recorded 11 assists on 29 made field goals.
