LHU Men’s Basketball outlasts Bloomsburg in a triple overtime thriller

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – For the second time in three games, the Lock Haven men’s basketball team won a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) game in overtime, this time taking down Bloomsburg on the road in a triple overtime thriller, 103-96, on Wednesday night (Jan. 29).

In the last three games, the “Kardiac Kids” downed Shippensburg in double overtime, knocked off Millersville in the closing seconds of regulation and outlasted Bloomsburg in triple overtime.

The Bald Eagles extended their win streak to three games to improve to 10-9 overall and 7-6 in the PSAC. Bloomsburg falls to 3-17 on the season and 2-11 in conference play.

Wednesday marked the second time in three games the Bald Eagles have scored over 100 points.

Lock Haven held a 10-point advantage in the second half, but Bloomsburg stormed back over the final 10 minutes to take a 72-70 lead with 1:46 on the clock.

However, the Bald Eagles knotted the score at 72-72 off a layup from Kevin Coleman on the ensuing possession and neither team scored over the final minute to send the game into the first overtime.

Coleman scored the first basket over overtime to give the Bald Eagles an early lead, but the Huskies responded with a 7-0 run to go back up 79-75 with 2:43 to go.

However, The Haven closed out the period on a 7-2 run, with all seven points coming at the foul line to force a second overtime. Isaiah Stewart was fouled on a 3-point attempt as time expired and the senior knocked down all three attempts to tie the game at 81-81 with no time on the clock.

The second overtime was even across the board as both teams went point-for-point, before Coleman played the hero once again by tipping in the game-tying basket as time expired to knot the score at 81-81, forcing a third overtime.

In the final overtime, Lock Haven put the game away on the offensive end by knocking down 80 percent of its shots (4-of-5), while knocking down both three-point attempts. The Bald Eagles outscored Bloomsburg 14-7 to secure the victory.

The reigning PSAC East Defensive Player of the Week, Coleman, led the way for The Haven by scoring a game-high 28 points and pulling in a game-high 12 rebounds. The transfer secured his fifth double-double of the year, while adding two blocks and two steals.

Stewart knocked down a game-high four trifectas on his way to 24 points, while adding four assists and three steals. Stewart also went a perfect 8-of-8 at the charity stripe.

Eli Washington added 12 points and a game high six assists and knocked down 2-of-3 shots from deep.

LaQuan Byrd and Dyllon Scott provided a huge spark off the bench and finished with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Byrd knocked down two shots from behind the arch and Scott pulled in six rebounds.

Bryson Scott added seven rebounds and went 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.

For the game, the Bald Eagles knocked down 51 percent (35-of-69) of their shots from the floor, while knocking down a season-high 11 shots from three. On defense, The Haven held Bloomsburg to 41 percent (35-of-85) shooting and held a plus-eight rebound advantage.

Up next for The Haven:

The Bald Eagles return home on Saturday (Feb. 1) at 3 p.m. to host West Chester in Thomas Fieldhouse in a PSAC East contest.