Bison lose heartbreaker in OT

January 30, 2005

Northwestern jumped out 71-66 and never looked back in overtime as the Rangers beat the Bison 81-77. The loss sends OBU to 3-6 in the Sooner Athletic Conference and 15-7 overall. The Rangers improve to 6-3 in the SAC and 14-7 overall.

Northwestern led the majority of the second half of play and actually held a 10 point lead on the Bison after the Rangers went on an 11-0 run to take the lead at 47-37 with 14:34 left to play. That was the largest lead of the night as OBU began to claw their way back into the game. With 10:56 left to play Andrew Bryant ignited a 9-0 run that put OBU up 57-54 with 7:41 left in regulation.

Northwestern then answered with a 9-0 run fo their own to take a 63-57 lead with 4:32 left in the second half.

The Rangers held a 66-61 lead with 3:05 left in regulation before the Bison closed out regulation with a 5-0 run to tie the game at 66. The Rangers had a chance to win the game in regulation, but LaRon Bradley missed a put back shot with just a second left to play.

In the first half of play both teams shot above the 50 percent mark from three-point range. OBU shot 66.7 percent from beyond the arc while Northwestern shot 57.1 percent from three-point range.

OBU didn't trail the first 10 minutes of the game, but did not lead by more than six. OBU took their biggest lead of the half at the 11:35 mark in the first half at 16-10.

OBU held a four-point lead at 24-20 before Northwestern went on an 8-0 run to take their first lead of the game.

Robert Hart put OBU back on top with back-to-back field goals to take a 29-28 lead with 3:09 left in the half.

The Rangers took back the lead on a Bryant Hunt 3 at 31-29 and took their biggest lead of the half at five on another Hunt 3 to take a 34-29 lead.

Hart pulled the Bison back within one with a 3 with 35 seconds left in the half as the Bison trailed at intermission 36-35.

Hart led all scorers with 25 points. Leonard Mosley scored 17 points and grabbed five boards. Justin Benson scored a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds while Bryant just missed a double-double by a couple of boards as he scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

OBU next hosts Lubbock Christian Thursday night at the Noble Complex.