BUENA VISTA, Va. – A riveting affair Saturday afternoon in Knight Arena would require extra time before the Southern Virginia University men's basketball team would improve to 4-3 after a 92-90 victory over Ferrum College.
"I am really proud of our team today," proclaimed head coach
Adam Wardenburg following the win. "Ferrum is a really good team and we had a great battle that we were fortunate enough to win in overtime."
The first half featured two offenses that were almost unstoppable, combining for 84 points while shooting over 50 percent from the field. The Panthers knocked down seven shots three-pointers, including two each from Deshone Hicks and Marcus Neal.
Ferrum would stretch its lead to 11 just before the half, but
Shaun Kenedy sunk a three to cut the deficit to eight and give his team some momentum heading into the break.
A perfectly executed play right out of halftime would give
Abe Connolly a wide-open look from beyond the arc that he would drain, making it a five point contest and energizing the home crowd.
The Knights would take the lead for the first time since the 10:27 mark of the first half after another Kenedy three-pointer - one of five he would hit in the game – setting up for an intense finish.
The teams would trade punches for most of the second half, with neither team backing down from the fight.
Ferrum would receive a big blow with 7:17 remaining in the second half when leading scorer Calvin Washington fouled out after being called for an offensive foul while jockeying for position in the paint with
Malakai Olson. Washington, who scored a team-high 21 points, was forced to go to the bench after his fourth foul with just under 14 minutes remaining in the regulation, leading to a 15-4 Southern Virginia run. Coach Pat Corrigan gambled, sending his star back into the game and it would not result the way he had hoped, with Washington playing just 99 seconds before being required to exit the game.
The Panthers would retake and hold onto the lead in the final five minutes until back-to-back layups by
Koa Baker would square the game up at 79 with just under a minute remaining.
A Kenedy steal led to a fast break where he would be fouled and sent to the line for a pair of free throws. The Cary, North Carolina native calmly knocked down both shots from the charity strike, giving the Knights a two point advantage.
Ferrum freshman Alfredo Abel Rivera, who was quiet throughout most of the game thanks to lock-down defense by Baker, hit the biggest shot of his young career to force overtime.
"Ferrum had some really good players that could knock down shots and create for others," stated Baker. "When I have the task to guard our opponents' best players it makes it a lot easier knowing my teammates have my back and that is what will continue to make us a great team defensively."
During the extra five minutes, Olson's experience proved to be invaluable, scoring six of the team's 11 points. With four seconds left, the Panthers were given a lifeline after a
Koa Baker foul would send Marcus Neal to the free throw line with a chance to tie the game. Neal, who scored a season-high 18 points, missed both attempts at the line, leading to a 92-90 nail-biting victory for Southern Virginia.
Baker, who secured his sixth double-double in seven games, scored a career high 24 points on 8-14 shooing while bringing down 11 boards, including five offensive rebounds. "My teammates do a great job creating and finding me," exclaimed the freshman guard. "Our Coaching staff also has a great system and plays to set us up for success. I'm grateful for my teammates and coaches that trust me."
Baker's partner in the back court,
Shaun Kenedy, would continue his prolific play, scoring a game-high 25 points while adding eight assists. "Getting my teammates involved has always been a priority of mine," said Kenedy. "I have complete confidence in my teammates to hit the shot so it's just on me to find them."
The reigning USA South conference rookie of the week believes the home crowd advantage was a huge factor in the matchup. "The arena was rocking today and brought energy to everyone on the team. It made it difficult on the other end for Ferrum and easy for our guys to rally behind the crowd's energy."
Kenedy also gave a shoutout to strength and conditioning coach Andy Pace. "He and his team have done a great job making sure our bodies are ready and capable to compete in overtime games and it shows as we have won every overtime game thus far."
Coach Wardenburg pointed out a few key areas that attributed to the triumph. "We outrebounded them by 15, giving us a lot of extra possessions. We also made as many free throws as they attempted. These are both game changing stats that really show how tough we are as a team."
"In a back and forth game like that, I was really proud that we stayed connected and never fractured. We stuck to the game plan and our guys did exactly what we needed to do to win. Our bench was also fantastic today! They brought a ton of energy and I am extremely proud of everyone on our team. It was a great win!"
Southern Virginia will have a week to prepare for its next game, the fourth straight at home, against Randolph College on Saturday, Dec. 10.
For all the most up-to-date information regarding Southern Virginia University men's basketball, please visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_hoops on Instagram.
