Miami, FL - Messiah College junior
Brad Bolen hit a runner with just over a second remaining in overtime on Saturday, sending Messiah to a 72-71 win over Eastern Connecticut State.
“It was a great game,” Messiah head coach
Rick Van Pelt said. “Both teams made big plays, and individuals on both teams made big shots. It was incredible.”
Bolen's game-winning runner—which came, coincidentally, on his birthday—followed a Warriors' score in the paint with 5.6 seconds remaining. After calling timeout, Messiah set up in the full-court with their intent to find Bolen. The junior guard initially bobbled the inbounds pass before regaining control and driving up the middle of the floor. After pushing into the paint, Bolen lofted his shot over the front of the rim, off the backboard, and through the rim.
With just over a second remaining, the Falcons'
Zac Hoy deflected the Warriors' full-court pass as the buzzer sounded.
Whether a well-timed birthday gift or an early Christmas present, Bolen's score was welcomed by his teammates and coaches.
“Brad really made a big play,” Van Pelt said, as his team won for the second time in as many days in the Adidas Slam Tournament. “Our guys really put it all out there tonight, and it's great to come away with a big win.”
Though Bolen's score will be long remembered, the Falcons were only alive in overtime thanks to a clutch shot from junior
Taylor Groff—the result of a long last 10 seconds of regulation.
Eastern Connecticut took a 62-60 lead with just 10 seconds remaining in the second-half, with Messiah's
Derek Mosley missing a three-pointer on the Falcons' next possession. Groff rebounded the miss, however, with
Zac Hoy calling timeout with just over a second left on the clock. Now executing from deep in the corner, the Falcons found Groff at the corner of the free-throw line for an open jumper—a game-tying score that sent the two teams into overtime.
“Those last plays—Groff's rebound, the timeout, and the shot—were really big,” Van Pelt said. “Our guys played through every challenge tonight.”
Both teams traded buckets throughout the overtime session, all the way until Bolen's score proved to be the final blow from Messiah.
The result seemed fitting for the Falcons, as they played with a lead for most of the night. After entering the intermission in front 34-29, Messiah even managed to push their lead to as many as 10 points in the second-half. But turnovers and poor shot selection on the part of the Falcons allowed the Warriors to get back into the game more than once, with Messiah having to battle back each time.
“When we weren't turning the ball over, we pushed out ahead of them,” Van Pelt said. “But we let them back into the game a few times with our shot selection. Thankfully, we were able to recover each time.”
The Warriors' largest lead of the night wasn't more than a few points, as Messiah's strong defense kept their opponent from getting too far in front. In the end, the Falcons' clutch shooting proved just enough to earn the victory.
The win for Messiah moves the Falcons to 6-4 as they will now look forward to a 10-day break for Christmas.
The Falcons will fly home from Florida tomorrow, with their next game scheduled for Jan. 2, 2013, against Lancaster Bible College.
