Ft. Worth, Texas – Although it took to the final day of the Sooner Athletic Conference regular season to accomplish, the Oklahoma Panhandle State University men's basketball team earned a berth in a conference post-season tournament for the first time since the 2005-06 season. While the Aggies (15-13, 10-12 SAC) were still embroiled in an overtime game at Texas Wesleyan University –which OPSU eventually lost 82-77 – the University of Science and Arts (Oklahoma) polished off the only team which could have eliminated the Aggies, Southwestern Christian University, by an 87-83 score.
 
The USAO win locked in Panhandle State for the No. 8-seed in the SAC post-season tournament, regardless of its final outcome versus the Rams on Saturday. Panhandle will play at No. 1-seed – and No. 9-nationally ranked – Wayland Baptist University in its first-round game on Tuesday (Feb. 26/8 p.m.).
 
OPSU's last conference tournament play came as a member of the Heartland Conference, losing at the University of Montana-Billings, 80-67, on March 3, 2006.
 
"I'm very happy we made it into the SAC tournament," OPSU Head Coach Aaron Coombs reflected. "Obviously it would have been sweeter to win our way in. I'm not as disappointed with the loss as much as how we lost; the mistakes we made. I thought we played well enough to win, but credit Texas Wesleyan; they made the plays in overtime."
 
Panhandle State looked to be well in control versus Texas Wesleyan early on, leading the bulk of the first half. However, the Rams closed the first half on a 7-2 run to carry a 30-25 lead into the halftime locker room.
 
In the second half, the teams swapped the lead for the first 11 minutes, with neither team leading by more than three points. By the 9:25 mark of the second, OPSU had created some separation and a seven-point lead, 56-49, on a three-ball from Baris Ulker.
 
With 1:55 left, one of several oddities in the game reared its head. With the scoreboard, statistics and even the TWU broadcasters showing the Aggies down 67-66, Khallid Edwards drained a three. However, after some discussion between the officials and the official book – which had OPSU with one less point - a change was made and Panhandle only led by a single point, 68-67, following Edwards' trey. That fact would prove more important in the waning seconds.
 
With the Aggies ahead 71-69, OPSU was whistled for a three-shot foul with just a half-second left on the clock. TWU's Peyton Sallee – with a chance to virtually win the game on his own - made the first two charity tosses to tie the game at 71-71, but missed the second to send matters into overtime. The Rams went on to out-score Panhandle, 11-6, in the extra segment to take the win.
 
Edwards had a brilliant effort from the field, hitting 9-of-12 – including four from three-point range - for a 22-point game (his second-consecutive game with 20-plus points). Edwards also grabbed four rebounds and had a team-leading five assists to his credit.
 
Ulker narrowly missed another double-double, tallying 21 pints and eight rebounds in 44 minutes of action. Ulker was 9-for-16 shooting and buried a trio of three-balls, as well.
 
Leading scorer Breiman Alexander was held below his average of 24 points per game, contributing 18 points, along with four assists and three rebounds before fouling out. Alexander matched Edwards with four baskets from beyond the arc on his ledger.
 
Alan Hodge was the Aggies' fourth double-figure scorer with 10 points. Hodge also had four assisted and three caroms for the game.
 
And despite what may not have been the Aggies' best game of the year versus TWU, come next Tuesday in the SAC tournament, it's a new season for Panhandle State. It's also a chance to keep building on the foundation of excellence the 2018-19 Aggies have set thus far.