MCPHERSON, Kan. – The York University men's basketball team placed six student-athletes in double figures but lost a hard-fought 108-104 overtime game at McPherson College Wednesday evening.
The Panthers are now 4-11 on the year, including 2-7 in KCAC action.
Head coach Mitch McMullen's team Logan Beckstrom's 22-point performance. Jadin Johnson added 20 points and five assists while Dave Dalge contributed 15 points and six rebounds. Eli Nutting added 13 points while Eli Jones had 10. Jomar Ezell posted nine points and five assists. Shaun Armstrong had seven markers. Jaxon Kilmurry totaled five points while Nathaniel Owen hit a three-point bucket.
Down 11-4 in the early going, Armstrong and Nutting hit buckets, bringing the team within three. Moments later, Dalge scored four points during a 6-0 spurt that gave York a 14-12 edge with 11:44 to play.
Tied at 14-14, Kilmurry netted a shot from deep. An old-fashioned three-point play by Nutting propelled the Panthers to a 20-14 advantage at the 10:06 mark. Down 24-20, Nutting hit a free throw and Kilmurry scored a bucket, bringing the visitors within one with 7:26 to go in the half.
Jones scored three points to make it 37-31, but the Bulldogs were fouled on a three-point attempt and hit all three shots for a 40-31 lead. Jones drilled a jumper off a pass from Johnson, but McPherson College held a 43-33 advantage at the break.
After intermission, Dalge and Beckstrom connected on shots, pulling the team within six, 43-37. A three-ball from Owen sliced the margin to five, 45-40. Down 50-42, Ezell and Johnson buried baskets. Another Johnson jumper cut the deficit to four, 52-48, with 14:56 to play. The Bulldogs went on an 8-0 run.
York countered with a three-ball from Jones off a pass from Johnson to make it 64-57. Trailing 74-59, Beckstrom canned a three-point bucket. Down 76-62, Nutting started a spurt with a lay-up. Beckstrom and Nutting hit back-to-back three-point shots, slicing the deficit to six, 76-70. Ezell made a free throw and Johnson connected from deep, making it 78-74, with 5:56 on the clock.
With the score at 81-74, Ezell netted a three-point play. Facing an 85-79 deficit, Johnson made two free throws. He then found Beckstrom for a three-ball, cutting the margin to one, 85-84. Nutting found Dalge for a thunderous dunk, giving the Panthers a one-point edge. Down 87-86, Dalge converted a lay-up. With 54 seconds on the clock, Dalge hit a free throw for a two-point cushion. The Bulldogs hit two free throws, forcing overtime.
McPherson led 93-89 before Johnson drilled a shot from downtown off a pass from Ezell at the 3:55 mark. Beckstrom hit two charity tosses to make it 96-94 with 2:54 to play. Trailing 101-96, Johnson canned a lay-up with 1:29 to play. With 20 seconds remaining, Nutting buried two free throws to make it 103-100. Johnson sliced the deficit to two with a lay-up at the 12-second mark. However, York was forced to foul and the home squad made two free throws for the final margin.
For the game, York hit 40-of-70 from the floor (57.1 percent), including 12-of-29 (41.4 percent) from the three-point stripe. The Panthers made 12-of-16 (75.0 percent) from the charity stripe. Each team pulled down 35 rebounds. The visitors dished out 22 assists and scored 20 points off turnovers.
The Panthers return to action Saturday when they host Sterling at 3 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at Yorkpanthers.com.
