GEORGETOWN, Texas – In its first game back from the holiday break, McMurry University men's basketball had to work overtime, but made it worthwhile with a 71-70 non-conference road win at Southwestern University.  The win evened the War Hawks' record at 6-6 overall, while the Pirates fell to 4-6.
 
McM jumped out to the early 4-0 lead on a pair of Nate Estrada free throws and an Aaron Gettys layup. But the Buccaneers would go on a 15-3 run to grab its largest lead of the first half – eight points – with 12:36 left in the period.
 
Estrada canned a trey with 12:22 left to make it 15-10. The two teams would both face a scoring drought over the next three minutes. SU would eventually take a 39-30 advantage into the halftime locker room.
 
Southwestern kept its cushion for the early part of the second half.  But the War Hawks strung together several possessions to catch the Pirates at 46-46 on a pair of LaRandall Scroggins free throws with 14:47 left to play.
 
However, in the next 33 seconds, SU would reel off eight unanswered points to make it 54-46. The Pirates expanded that advantage to 10 points, 60-50, with 9:42 left in regulation and things looking at some potential post-Christmas "Bah Humbug". 
 
But the resilient McM squad clawed its way back into the game. By the 2:39 mark of the second half, the War Hawks had caught the Pirates, 64-64, on a Scroggins layup that capped an 18-10 McM run.  
 
A pair of SU free throws a few seconds later gave the hosts the upper hand once again.  After each team missed a pair of shots, McMurry knotted the game once again (66-66) when Gettys canned a mid-range jumper on a feed from Estrada with 25 seconds remaining.
 
A steal by Estrada with just 10 tics left in regulation gave the War Hawks a chance for the win. McGee hoisted a three-pointer – which was blocked – and Gettys grabbed the rebound and took a baseline desperation jumper as the clock expired to send the game to overtime.
 
In the extra segment, SU hit a pair of free throws just three seconds into the period. Scroggins then hit the backend of a two-shot foul. Estrada and Scroggins hit back-to-back jumpers to put the War Hawks up by three, 71-68, with 1:24 left. 
 
With 1:00 showing on the clock, then Pirates converted two free throws. It would be the last points of the game, but far from the end of action. McM missed four free throws down the stretch which could have iced matters sooner, sandwiching a huge blocked shot by Mike Williams Jr. of a potential go-ahead shot attempt by Southwestern.  It was a role-reversal from regulation, as the Pirates missed a layup attempt with two seconds remaining and then – getting the ball after the rebound went off an McM player – SU failed to convert a jumper as time expired.

Estrada booked his first collegiate double-double, finishing with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Estrada hit 5-of-17 from the floor and was 5-for-6 from the free throw line. Estrada also had four assists and a game-high four steals, coming off the floor for less than a minute in the game.
 
It was also Estrada's four-consecutive game with double-digit scoring.
 
Yilmaz, a freshman, had his eighth double-figure scoring game, matching Estrada's 17 points. Yilmaz was 6-of-9 shooting and also pulled down nine rebounds before fouling out with 2:16 left in the second period. Ylimaz's foul troubles limited him to just 22 minutes on the court.
 
Scroggins was McMurry's third double-figure scorer with 11 points, making good on 5-of-8 free thows. Scroggins pulled down six rebounds, as well as making two blocks.
 
McGee, at 5-foot-8, out-worked then taller Pirates for nine rebounds of his own. McGee passed off for three assists and made four steals, as well.  Gabriel Chacon also made four steals, as the War Hawks matched their season high with 13 thefts as a unit.