WICHITA, Kan. – The Ottawa University Braves outscored the Friends University Falcons 13-6 in the overtime session to win 86-79 in KCAC action today (Feb. 8) inside the Garvey Center. Friends is now 18-6 overall and one game behind Oklahoma Wesleyan University for the top spot in the KCAC with a 14-4 league record.
The Falcons trailed late in regulation 73-70 until Collin Maclin found a crease in the lane and converted a three-point play to tie the score with six seconds left.
Deondre Buggage nearly won it in regulation for the Braves, but his shot inside bounced off the rim as the game went into the extra period.
The Falcons appeared to carry the late second half momentum into overtime, with Maclin scoring and then assisting on a three by KJ Spiller for a five-point lead at the 3:37 mark.
But it was all Ottawa from there, as Najee Jones hit consecutive threes and scored eight straight points to ignite a 10-0 run. A three by Payton Kaiser then put it away with 25 seconds left.
After falling behind early 13-4, threes by Maclin bookended a 14-0 spurt that gave the Falcons a five-point lead.
Friends maintained a lead throughout the remainder of the opening half, including increasing the edge to eight on a three by Spiller that made it 35-27 with 3:30 remaining.
The Braves though concluded the half on a 10-2 burst, getting a three by Jones to pull even at 37-37 at the break.
Spiller got the Falcons going again with the first six points of the second half.
The Falcons went on to lead by eight on two more occasions and were still up 68-63 when the Braves used an 8-0 run to take their first lead since the 12:17 mark of the first half.
Maclin and Spiller each led the Falcons with 20 points, with Ring Deng securing a team-high eight rebounds and Randy Woolf, Jr. leading the team with five assists.
Jones led all scorers with 26 points off the bench for Ottawa (17-7, 13-5 KCAC) while Jayden Hibbitt scored 17 and Buggage added 15. Kaiser finished with 11 points and led the Braves in rebounds (seven) and assists (five).
The Falcons outshot the Braves 48.4 percent to 46.3 percent overall from the field, but the Braves held a crucial 41.4 percent to 28.6 percent edge from three-point distance.
Friends will now be on the road for three straight games, beginning with a matchup Wednesday night (Feb. 12) for an 8 pm tip-off at Sterling College in Sterling, Kan.
