Eastern Kentucky men’s basketball captures historic victory in overtime thriller
The Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball program inaugurated its home court in 1963 with a 78-65 win over Louisville.
On Thursday, the Colonels reached a historic milestone in thrilling fashion.
Wendell Green hit the go-ahead shot with 1:34 to play then sank a pair of game-clinching free throws in the closing seconds as EKU knocked off Jacksonville State 69-66 in overtime in McBrayer Arena in Richmond. It was the Colonels’ 500th victory in the venue the program has called home for more than half a century.
“For this to be the 500th win at McBrayer, it couldn’t have been more special,” EKU Coach A.W. Hamilton said. “It wasn’t pretty, but if you’re a basketball fan you got your money’s worth tonight.”
Green, a 5-foot-11 guard from Detroit, finished with 15 points and six boards.
“This is the thing I say about Wendell every time somebody asks me; he’s the toughest, most competitive kid that we’ve got,” Hamilton said. “Really proud of him. He’s just a freshman doing this ... there’s no telling how good that kid’s gonna be.”
The Colonels and Gamecocks exchanged leads 20 times and neither team led by more than five.
“There were so many times in that game that we could have laid down and we could have folded,” Hamilton said. “I thought the last 10 minutes, the energy, the will to win, the grit that we showed on the defensive end was incredible.”
EKU (10-2, 4-1 Ohio Valley Conference) trailed by five points with 4:43 left in regulation but responded with a 7-0 run capped by a Curt Lewis three-pointer to take a 57-55 lead. A layup by Green gave the Colonels a 62-60 edge with 39 seconds left.
Jacksonville State (7-3, 3-1 OVC) sent the game to overtime on a baseline jumper by Darian Adams with less than four seconds to go. The Colonels missed their first seven shots of overtime before Lewis finally got them rolling with a three-pointer from the corner. EKU erased a four-point deficit in the extra frame. Adams missed a three-point attempt with two seconds left and Tariq Balogun secured the rebound and the victory for EKU.
Tre King led the Colonels with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Lewis had 13 points and eight rebounds.
EKU held the Gamecocks to 34 percent shooting, including a 3-for-21 mark from the perimeter. The Colonels overcame a 58-47 deficit on the boards.
EKU has won five straight since a loss at Morehead State on Dec. 14. The Colonels continue their two-game home stand Saturday when Tennessee Tech visits McBrayer Arena.
Saturday
Tennessee Tech at Eastern Kentucky
When: 7 p.m.
Live video broadcast: ESPN Plus (subscription required)
