MBB
82
Welch College WC 1-5
85
Winner Pensacola Christian College PCC 5-4
Welch College WC
1-5
82
Final
85
Pensacola Christian College PCC
5-4
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 F
Welch College WC 28 47 7 82
Pensacola Christian College PCC 35 40 10 85

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Braden Mottor

Overtime Redemption: Eagles Take Down Welch in 85-82 Thriller

Game Recap:
With a heartbreaking overtime loss on Saturday to Huntingdon College still fresh in their minds, the Eagles flipped the script on Monday night and delivered a dramatic overtime victory of their own against NCCAA DII opponent Welch College. After the Eagles outscored the Flames by seven in the first half and Welch returned the favor in the second, the two teams battled through a 45-minute thriller that ended with a last-second alley-oop finish to secure the 85-82 win.
 
To open the game, both teams traded three-pointers on their first two possessions. After falling behind 6-3, the Eagles answered with eight straight points from Gerdts, Stickles, and a pair of buckets by Azucena. Welch momentarily stopped the run with a three, but Pack responded with his second triple of the night to keep the Eagles in front, 14-9, just six minutes in.
 
As the pace settled, the Eagles maintained control and built their lead to as large as ten. A driving layup by Luke Peck sparked a 6-1 run that pushed the advantage to 27-17 with under eight minutes left in the half. The Flames responded with an 11-2 surge to pull within one before the Eagles countered again, closing the half on a 6-0 run led by Gerdts and Pack and taking a 35-28 lead into the locker room.
 
Out of halftime, the teams exchanged buckets early as the Eagles held a 45-39 lead three minutes into the second half. By the ten-minute mark, Welch had fought their way ahead 54-53. Gerdts scored four straight to reclaim the lead, but from that point on, neither team held more than a five-point advantage.
 
Gerdts and Pack powered the Eagles offensively throughout the second half. Gerdts scored 17 on 4-7 shooting with four assists, while Pack scored 14 on 6-10 shooting. In the closing minutes, Welch held a 70-67 lead with under three minutes remaining. Six consecutive points from Gerdts, followed by trading baskets down the stretch, set the score at 75-75 with ten seconds left after a strong take by Pack. The Eagles then came up with a critical defensive stop to force overtime, marking their second straight game that needed an extra period.
 
Welch opened the extra period with five unanswered points, but Pack steadied the Eagles with back-to-back field goals to cut the deficit to 80-79. After a missed three from Pack, sophomore Raul Bertinato elevated for an offensive rebound and tipped in the putback to tie the game at 82-82 with one minute and thirty seconds remaining.
 
Following another defensive stand, the Eagles earned a sideline out-of-bounds with just one second on the shot clock. After a timeout, they executed their set to perfection. Stickles delivered a pinpoint pass, Bertinato rose above the defense, grabbed the ball near the rim, and flipped in a reverse layup as the shot clock expired, giving the Eagles an 84-82 lead with twenty seconds left. Another defensive stop and a free throw from Pack sealed the 85-82 victory.
 
Pack led all scorers with a dominant double-double that included 33 points and 10 rebounds in 39 minutes. Gerdts followed closely with 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists in 41 minutes. Bertinato delivered the defining moment of the night while securing his second double-double of the season, finishing with 14 points and a career-high 12 rebounds in 41 minutes played.
 
 
What's Next:
With this win, the Eagles close out their first semester of regular season play. They will now shift to two exhibition matchups. On December 2 they will face the University of West Florida at 10:30 AM, and on Saturday, December 6 the Eagles will travel to Montgomery, Alabama for an exhibition against Huntingdon College.
 
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