Arrington pours in 33, NCWC wins 102-98 OT thriller over SU

Winchester, VA - Junior sharpshooter Jarmel Arrington poured in a game-high 33 points and knocked down seven three-pointers on Saturday afternoon to lead his North Carolina Wesleyan men’s basketball team to a thrilling 102-98 overtime win on the road at Shenandoah. Arrington (pictured) knocked down 7-of-14 attempts from behind the arc and 10-of-10 attempts at the free throw line to pace the Bishops, who forced the extra period with a buzzer-beating lay-up by Buddy Williams in regulation. Wesleyan improves to 14-6 overall with the win, which includes a 4-3 mark in the USA South.

Both teams shot over 50 percent in the first half with Shenandoah (7-14, 2-6 USAC) holding a slim 46-42 lead at the half.

The second half featured five ties and six lead changes before SU looked to steal the victory by forging a five-point advantage in the final minute. The Hornets, in fact, held an 87-82 advantage with 30 seconds remaining following a pair of Wayne Washington free throws.

The Bishops proceeded to miss four shots on their next trip down the floor before SU’s Kenny Robertson could come down with the defensive rebound. Robertson, however, was called for traveling after falling to the floor. Wesleyan took advantage and promptly cut the deficit to two points on an Arrington three-pointer with eight seconds left.

NCWC immediately fouled on the in-bounds play, and Robertson hit one of two to give the Hornets an 88-85 lead with four ticks on the clock. The Bishops quickly advanced the ball into the frontcourt where Robertson was whistled for a foul on a Trey Drake three-point attempt with 0.8 remaining.

Drake missed the first attempt, and after making the second, he missed the third intentionally. Shenandoah's Kevin Kline knocked the ball out-of-bounds, but no time ran off the clock, giving the Bishops one last chance.

Drake made the most of the opportunity as he got the ball into Williams under the basket, who laid it in for the game-tying bucket. The assist secured a double-double for Drake, who had 12 points and 10 helpers on the night.

The Bishops went on to out-score the Hornets 14-10 in the extra period as they hit all seven of their attempts from the line.  SU, on the other hand, made just 5-of-10 at the charity stripe and 1-of-4 from the floor.

In addition to Arrington’s 33 points, Williams finished with a season-high 19. Lamont Stokes and Adam Coleman had 12 and 10, respectively, while freshman Alex Murray pulled down a team-high nine rebounds.

Kline led six Shenandoah players in double-figures with 23 points.

The Bishops return to action on Wednesday night when they host Christopher Newport. Game time is slated for 7:30 p.m. in Everett Gymnasium.
 

Return to Men's Basketball Main