GOODWELL, Okla. — The Oklahoma Panhandle State men's basketball team (0-2) fell 73-71 Friday night to Bethany College (1-0) in Anchor D Arena.
After losing a slim lead late, OPSU had possession of the ball past halfcourt down two with nine seconds left following a timeout, but the Aggies' last-second three-point attempt was tipped and secured by Bethany as the horn sounded.
Free throws proved to be the deciding factor in the game, with the Swedes shooting 18-for-21 at the charity stripe compared to the Aggies' 6-for-12 showing. Neither team led by more than six points throughout the night, and the lead changed 15 times in the back-and-forth affair.
Both squads got off to fast starts from beyond the arc, shooting 40% or better from distance in the first half. Through 20 minutes, the score was knotted at 34-34, with OPSU holding an 18-11 rebounding advantage and a 6-2 advantage in second-chance points.
Aaron Williams Jr. and
Kensington Grant-Brown sandwiched a layup from
Mykel Lindsey with a pair of triples to open the second half, giving the Aggies their largest lead of the night, 42-36.
The Swedes erased the deficit with a 10-0 run over the next four minutes, but
Braedon Edison and
Christian Campbell answered with 12:07 to play by knocking down a layup and three-pointer, respectively, to put Panhandle State back in front, 47-46.
The teams traded buckets before OPSU pushed the lead to six points once more on another layup and trey from Edison and Campbell.
Will Martinez of the Swedes then hit consecutive three-pointers to retie the game at 58-all as the game went down to the wire.
Though Panhandle State led 68-64 with three minutes to play, Bethany converted just enough in the paint and at the free-throw line to close out the contest, leaving the Aggies searching for their first win.
Williams Jr., Campbell and Edison finished with 18, 17 and 10 points, respectively, each making multiple three-pointers. Lindsey finished with a double-double of 12 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks.
What's up next: OPSU hosts the inaugural No Man's Land Classic Nov. 7-8, beginning with a 7 p.m. contest Friday versus the University of the Southwest (2-0).
