Box Score

FOND DU LAC, Wis. – The Edgewood College men's basketball team did almost everything any team tries to do every game, take an early lead, hold it and win the turnover battle. Despite that, the Eagles needed a basket as time expired to send the contest to overtime and then never regained the lead in overtime as the Sabres took the 72-65 victory behind stellar shooting.

Edgewood College (9-9, 6-4 NAC) jumped out to the early lead and just five minutes into the contest and freshman Andrew Cobb hit a jump shot to give the Eagles a 12-3 advantage. However, the Sabres (8-10, 5-5 NAC) started to heat up from three-point range. Their first 12 points came from downtown as they shot 66.7 percent (4-for-6) from deep in the first half.

Marian took their first lead of the game with just over four minutes to go in the first half and extend it to three points with 2:57 to play. The Eagles then scored the final six points of the half with four points coming on back-to-back Michael Gehring layups. Then Cobb hit another jump shot, this one came as time expired in the first half to give the Eagles a 25-22 lead at the half. Neither team shot well in the frame as the Eagles shot 35.5 percent (11-for-31) and the Sabres were 9-for-25 or 36 percent.

The shooting picked up in the second half as the Eagles shot 54.2 percent (13-for-24) from the floor and Marian shot a blistering 60.9 percent (14-for23). Edgewood College quickly extended their lead to 10, their largest of the game just two minutes into the second half. Derek Nkemnji started the run with a layup and Jeff Barczak finished it with his only three-point basket of the game. In all the Eagles scored 13 straight points to take the lead and extend it.

Then the Sabres started to chip away at the deficit and came within one point with 7:45 remaining and tied the game at 50 just two minutes later. After the Sabres tied the game, Kent Faurote ignited a quick 6-0 scoring spurt with a three-point basket and the Eagles led 56-50 with 4:01 to play.

Again Marian would come back and take their second lead of the game on a Kevin Hudak jump shot with only seven seconds to play. Out of an Edgewood College timeout, Nkemnji took the ball coast-to-coast and made a layup as time expired to send the game to overtime tied at 59.

In the overtime period, the Sabres jumped out early on a Logan Rankin layup. Then after a couple Rankin free throws, Ben Wisniewski hit a three-point shot to bring the Eagles within one point, but that was as close as the Eagles would get. With Edgewood College down six, Wisniewski cut the deficit in half with another three-point basket. However, the Sabres did not miss from the free throw line in the extra session as they were 8-for-8 from the charity stripe to seal the 72-65 victory.

For the game, the Eagles shot 40.6 percent from the floor while the Sabres shot a blistering 50 percent. Marian also outshot the Eagles from three-point range as they were 11-for-16 or 68.8 percent form distance and the Eagles shot only 18.5 percent, 5-for-27.

Edgewood College did a really good job of taking care of the ball as they only had nine turnovers which is the first time this season the Eagles have had fewer than 10 turnovers. The last time Edgewood College had fewer than 10 turnovers was during the 2007-08 season against Concordia Chicago when they turned the ball over nine times. The Eagles also forced the Sabres into 17 turnovers.

Wisniewski led the Eagles in scoring with 19 points while Barczak was the only other Eagle in double figures with 11 points. Nkemnji recorded a team-high six rebounds. Jeff Harris tallied 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting, all from three-point range while Bryan Ashbeck was another of four Sabres in double figures with 15 points.

The Eagles will take to the road again on Saturday when they travel to Milwaukee to face MSOE. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:15 p.m.