SALISBURY, North Carolina – The Bluefield State men's basketball team continued their win streak on the road game against Livingstone College in overtime Monday evening, 115-112.
The Big Blue will host Emory and Henry. Feb. 5. Tipoff is set at 4:00 p.m.
Jordan Hinds started off with a three-pointer from the top of the key, and then came back down for a layup. Landry Palata continued the momentum with a big dunk, giving the Big Blue an early 7-0 lead.
The Big Blue never let up off the Bears, maintaining the lead for the entire first half. The Big Blue saw 25 points off of turnovers.
At the start of the second half, the Big Blue continued to add to their lead. A dunk from Navar Elmore tied the game at the 12-minute mark, 70-70. Elmore quickly turnaround and committed a foul, sending Marquez Cooper to the line for two.
Cooper made 1/2 putting the Big Blue up, 71-70. Cooper rebounds his own missed free throw and put it back up for a layup, Big Blue up 73-70 with 12:05 left in regulation.
The Bears took the lead at the 10-minute mark with two good free throws by De'Marr Mcrae, 74-73. Cooper drained a three to quickly put the Big Blue back up by one, 76-75 with 10:02 remaining.
The battle back and forth for the lead continued. The Big Blue tied it up at 101-101 with 2:08 to go. Cooper committed a foul, sending Khyree Temple to the line for two. Temple made both, putting the Bears up 103-101 with 1:44 left.
The Big Blue kept it alive with a fast break from Cooper and a jumper inside the paint tieing the game, 103-103 with:07 left in regulation. The Bears got the ball and Temple missed the jumper sending it to overtime.
Elmore started overtime with a dunk for Bears, putting them up by two, 105-103.
The Big Blue quickly answered with two tieing it back up, 105-105. Cooper gave the Big Blue the lead with a good jumper with 3:21 to go in overtime.
Down the stretch, Hirotaka Ohashi tied back up after Temple received a technical foul, 112-112 with 1:05 remaining.
Hinds had drawn the foul previous to the technical foul and went the line for two behind Ohashi. Hinds made 1/2 putting the Big Blue up, 113-112.
The Big Blue went on to score two more at the free-throw line and secured the win in overtime.
Marquez Cooper led with a season-high of 35 points on 14-21 shooting. Cooper added three rebounds, four assists, and four steals.
Jordan Hinds followed with 23 points on 10-13 shooting. Hinds added five steals in 29 minutes.
Hirotaka Ohashi added 14 points and seven assists in 27 minutes.
Landry Palata missed a double-double by one with 13 points and nine rebounds.
Ryan Stowers also added 12 points off the bench on 5-9 shooting in 22 minutes.
Overall, the team shot 47-87 for 54.0%.
They were 9-18 for 50.0% from the three-point line.
The team was also 12 of 21 on free throws.
The Big Bue scored 35 points off of turnovers.
