Sacred Heart Outlasts Fairleigh Dickinson in 4OT, 133-130
Several records fall in longest game in program history.

Box Score/Play-by-Play

Teaneck, N.J. – Justin James’ (Tampa, Fla.) three-pointer with three seconds left in the fourth overtime period, gave the Sacred Heart University (2-2, 1-0 NEC) men’s basketball team a 133-130 victory over host Fairleigh Dickinson (0-7, 0-2 NEC) in the longest game the Knights have ever played.  Several other records fell tonight as the Knights posted the highest point total (130) in program history and the two teams combined for a NEC record 233 points, while Sacred Heart’s 133 points also set a new league mark.  The Knights and Pioneers combined for a new NEC record for fouls with 75 (SHU 40, FDU 35) as 11 players fouled out of the contest.

Andrew Hunter (Scarborough, Ontario) led 15 players in double-digits by netting 34 points for the Pioneers and hauling in 13 rebounds.  Max Yokono (Cameroon, Africa) also tallied a double-double for Sacred Heart with 16 points and 10 rebounds.  Mensah Peterson (North Brunswick, N.J.) paced the Knights with 23 points, while Brandon Edwards (Southfield, Mich.) registered a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds.

James, who finished with eight points on the night, all of them in the extra frames, also hit a jumper with 37 seconds left in the third overtime to knot the game at 117-117 and sent it into a fourth.  The Knights held a four-point lead twice in the final 3:19, including a 129-125 advantage with only 59 seconds left.  James hit his first three-pointer of the night with 35 seconds to go, pulling the Pioneers within one at 129-128.  After a Fairleigh Dickinson turnover, Hunter gave the Pioneers a 130-129 lead with 22 seconds left.  Peterson was fouled with eight seconds remaining and hit one of two free throws to tie the game at 130-130, before James hit his second three of the game and give Sacred Heart the win.

Sacred Heart had carried a slim 44-41 advantage at the half and opened the second frame with a 21-5 run, sparked by eight points from Hunter, to build their lead to 65-46.  The Knights methodically chipped away and closed out the final four and a half minutes by outscoring the Pioneers 21-10 and Lionel Bomayako (Paris, France) capped the comeback with three seconds to go by nailing a three-pointer at the top of the arc with a defender in his face to send the game into overtime.

Bomayako finished with 18 points for the Knights.  Matt Hammond (Burlington, N.J.) chipped in 19 points and nine rebounds.  Richard Chavez (Wichita, Kan.) and Marcus Whitaker (Trenton, N.J.) combined to dish out 14 assists, tallying eight and six, respectively.

“It was a crazy evening to say the least,” said Knights’ head coach Tom Green.  “I have to hand it to those kids.  We’re playing as hard as we can and they’re giving me everything they’ve got.  We deserved a better fate tonight.”