Warriors Defeat #24 Oilers in Overtime
The University of Findlay men's basketball team dropped a 65-61 decision to Wayne State University in overtime on Saturday, Jan. 5 in Detroit, Mich.
#24 Findlay took a 55-53 lead with 48 seconds remaining in regulation on a lay-up by Greg Kahlig, but the Warriors tied the game 20 ticks later. The Oilers then wound the clock down and got a great look at a game-winner, but senior forward Brad Piehl could not get a short bank shot to go.
The Oilers scored the first two points of overtime, but Wayne State scored the next six to open up a four-point lead at 61-57. Kahlig would then hit a jumper at the 1:42 mark to make the score 61-59, but it was all Warriors after that as Findlay fell to 9-3 on the season with a 6-2 record in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play.
The Oilers, who led by as many as 11 points in the game, turned the ball over 23 times and shot only 37.9 percent (22-of-58) from the field. Findlay also hit only 22.2 percent (6-of-27) of their three point tries and trailed the Warriors by a 25-13 in points off of turnovers.
Senior forward Jack Smith, making a start in place of injured forward Jake Heagen, led the team with 17 points and six rebounds.
Piehl added 13 points and six rebounds while Kahlig and senior guard Aaron Robinson contributed 11 and ten points, respectively.
The Warriors shot 40.3 percent (25-of-62) from the field and recorded 13 steals in the game. They were paced by Mike Hollingsworth, who scored 15 points.
The Oilers will be back at home next week to host Ohio Dominican University on Jan. 10. The contest is scheduled to tip at 6 p.m. inside Croy Gymnasium.