NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. (Jan. 10) – The Saint Vincent men's basketball team battled back from a 16-point second-half deficit and forced extra time behind a clutch, late three-pointer from
Dev Ostrowski, but the Bearcats ultimately came up short in an 89-83 overtime loss to Westminster College in Presidents' Athletic Conference action Saturday afternoon at Buzz Ridl Gymnasium.
With the result, Saint Vincent drops to 7-6 overall and 2-2 in PAC play, while Westminster improves to 8-5 and 3-1 in league competition.
Trailing by as many as 16 points in the second half, the Bearcats showed remarkable resilience down the stretch. Behind energizing defense and offensive balance, Saint Vincent chipped away at the Westminster lead, eventually drawing even late in regulation.
With the Bearcats down by three in the final minute,
Dev Ostrowski drilled a game-tying three-pointer with just 0.8 seconds left to send the contest into overtime, electrifying the visiting contingent and setting up a dramatic extra session.
Saint Vincent's scoring was paced by a pair of double-digit performances.
Jaden Gales and
Jevontae Jones each finished with 19 points, leading the Bearcats in scoring and keeping Saint Vincent within striking distance throughout.
Maxwell Gordon added 13 points, and
Jaden Payne contributed 10 as the Bearcats shared the offensive load. Ostrowski finished with 8 points, including his late three, while
Terek Crosby chipped in 7 in the balanced effort.
The Bearcats shot 47.1 percent from the floor on the afternoon and scored 23 points off turnovers, but Westminster's efficient offensive night — led by DJ Harrell (32 points) and Drew Weir (27 points) — proved difficult to overcome.
Saint Vincent showed grit in overcoming a double-digit deficit and forcing overtime, but Westminster's offense made just enough plays in the extra session to hold off the Bearcats in the tightly contested matchup.
The Bearcats will look to rebound as PAC play continues next week in a home matchup against Chatham on Wednesday, January 14. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday night in the Robert S. Carey Center.
