No. 13 Tigers Survive Upset Bid at LWC

COLUMBIA, Ky. - Saturday afternoon proved yet again that in Mid-South Conference men's basketball, nothing comes easy, and nothing should be assumed.

The 13th-ranked Georgetown College Tigers (21-3, 14-3 MSC) were taken to the brink by the Lindsey Wilson College Blue Raiders (11-14, 4-13 MSC), but the Tigers survived in overtime, 72-69.

Lindsey Wilson struck first on the opening possession of the game, but Georgetown bounced back, as consecutive 3-pointers from Derrin Boyd, Drew Lamont, and Jayrese Williams helped Georgetown put together an 11-0 run to take an 11-2 lead. Lindsey Wilson took a timeout to stem the momentum, and it worked, as the Blue Raiders rallied to take a 21-18 lead with just less than 10 minutes remaining in the opening half. Over the final moments of the first frame, the game remained close, though Georgetown did briefly lead by five before a buzzer-beating triple for LWC closed the gap to 33-31 at intermission.

In the second half, the Tigers methodically increased their lead. A 3-pointer from Williams gave GC a 38-33 lead, and moments later, Boyd connected to push the Tigers' advantage to 48-38. The lead reached twelve twice, but with eight minutes to play, the Blue Raiders embarked on a 13-0 run that saw them claim the lead at 59-58 with 4:13 to play. The teams swapped the lead five times in the final moments, and while Jones had a chance to give the Tigers a lead in the final seconds, he made only one of two free throws and the game headed to overtime tied at 64.

Georgetown scored first in the extra session, but they were unable to stretch their lead. With 1:13 left to play, the Blue Raiders snuck in front, 69-68, but Jones answered seconds later to give Georgetown the lead back, 70-69. In the final moments of overtime, Jones and Williams each had a chance to seal the game at the foul line, and each made one of two, which left the margin at 72-69 with three seconds to play. LWC got a look at a tying 3-pointer, but Jones saved the day, notching a block on the buzzer-beating attempt, and the Tigers held on for the win.
 

Jones put up a game-high 27 in the win to pass 1,000 career points, and he grabbed 15 rebounds to lead the Tigers as well as he notched yet another double-double. Jones is the 56th player in program history to eclipse 1,000 career points. Boyd (11) and Williams (10) also scored in double figures for Georgetown as well, and Jaquay Wales recorded five assists.

As a team, Georgetown made 25 of 51 (49%) attempts from the floor, 9 of 22 (40.9%) from long range, and 13 of 21 (61.9%) from the charity stripe. The Tigers held a slim edge on the glass, 35-32, and the Tigers scored efficiently off turnovers, outpacing the Blue Raiders in that area 21-13.

Georgetown will return home on Monday night for a date with long-standing MSC rival Campbellsville University (12-13, 5-12 MSC). Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m. Eastern.