MENOMONIE, Wis. – Zacc Carter's layup with 9.8 seconds left in overtime gave McMurry University Men's Basketball a season opening win over the University of Wisconsin-Stout Friday night in the UW-Stout Tipoff Tournament at Johnson Fieldhouse.
The Blue Devils (2-1) rallied from a 62-46 deficit late in the second half and had a 71-69 lead late in regulation. But Carter had a breakaway dunk with 13 seconds remaining and the War Hawks (1-0) survived a three at the buzzer to force the extra five minutes.
Stout struck first in the extra frame, but the War Hawks battled to a 75-75 tie with less than a minute to go. After getting a stop, the War Hawks could hold for the last shot. Carter drove down the lane and finished at the rim with a right-handed layup. Stout had a long three-point attempt hit the rim, and sophomore guard Elijah Johnson secured the rebound and hit two free throws for the final margin.
Both teams endured a long scoreless stretch in the first half, before the War Hawks were able to use a 12-0 run to take a 23-18 advantage. Senior forward Jordan Jackson had seven of his fourteen points during the run, including a pair of dunks. Jackson finished with a double-double by adding a game-high 13 rebounds.
Leading 31-27 at the half, the War Hawks stormed out of the locker room, embarking on a 13-3 run capped by a pair of three-pointers by sophomore guard Colin Taylor for a 44-30 lead. Stout would get within six before McMurry rattled off a 10-1 shortly after for a 62-46 lead, the largest of the game. Junior forward Mike Williams Jr. completed the run with a thunderous one-handed baseline slam.
After the timeout, Stout went on a quick 8-0 run to cut the deficit in half and eventually a 25-5 run to take a 71-67 lead before the War Hawks retied the game in the final minute.
Carter led the War Hawks with 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting, knocking down his only attempt from behind the arc. He was 7-of-8 from the charity stripe and added seven rebounds.
Sophomore guard Elijah Johnson and Williams Jr. also scored in double figures with 17 and 12 points, respectively. Johnson had a team-high three three-pointers.
The War Hawks' defense held the Blue Devils to just 30.1 percent from the field, including only 22.2 percent in the first half. McMurry also dominated the points in the paint, 38-18.
Senior guard John Keefe paced the Blue Devils with 33 points.
McMurry is back on the court tomorrow night, taking on another team from the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in UW-Eau Claire in a neutral site match at 5 p.m. in Johnson Fieldhouse in Menomonie. The Blugolds were defeated by Bethel University, 72-56, in the first game of the evening Friday.
