Witt’s Career Night, Haney’s Clutch Three Lift Govs to Double Overtime Win Against Ospreys
FINAL/2OT
APSU - 95
N.Florida - 91
Graduate student Sai Witt scored a career-high 30 points, while junior Isaac Haney hit a go-ahead three-pointer from the left wing with under 90 seconds to play in the second overtime period of Austin Peay State University men's basketball team's 95-91 Atlantic Sun Conference double overtime victory, Saturday, on Gary Mathews Court at F&M Bank Arena.He was followed by two other 20-point scorers in Dezi Jones (22 points) and Ja'Monta Black (21 points).
Black connected on a game-high six three-pointers which brought his season total to 80 – the sixth-most in a single season in program history and most since Maurice Hampton's 82 during the 2004-05 season – while Jones' eight assists are the most by a Governor this season. Jones accounted for a game-high 43 points in the victory, with six of his eight dimes – and each of the last four – resulting in three-pointers.
A three-minute, 14-2 APSU run extended the Govs' advantage to a game-high 16 points at 55-39 with just over 13 minutes remaining in regulation following Black's fifth triple of the night; however, UNF directly responded with a 15-2 run to make it a three-point game past the midway point of the second half. UNF then made it a one-point game on the possession prior to the final media timeout – the closest the game had been at that point.
Three-pointers by Black and White and a layup by Witt extended the Govs' lead to nine points with 82 seconds to play, but the Ospreys made four of their six attempts in the final 1:04 of regulation and scored a basket with less than seconds remaining to force overtime.
After a split trip to the line by Witt to open the first overtime, UNF drained a three-pointer to take a 74-73 lead – its first of the game – on its second possession of the period and took its largest lead of the game at five points after Chaz Lanier scored his 11th point of overtime with 1:06 remaining.
A Haney three-pointer was followed by a Jones steal and coast-to-coast finish to tie the game with 28 seconds remaining. UNF had the ball on the last possession of the first overtime period, but missed the would-be game-winning triple with seconds on the clock.
On to the next OT.
The Govs and Ospreys exchanged the first 16 points in the second overtime's first three minutes, until Haney made a deep three-pointer from the left wing to break a 90-90 stalemate in what proved to be the final dagger of the night.
A split attempt at the line by Lanier was answered by back-to-back Witt free throws, as the Govs came away with the four-point, 95-91 win on their home court.
