Jacob Kaler
81
Eastern Oregon EOU
88
Winner Simpson (Calif.) SIMP
Eastern Oregon EOU
81
Final
88
Simpson (Calif.) SIMP
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 F
Eastern Oregon EOU 30 39 12 81
Simpson (Calif.) SIMP 37 32 19 88

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men's Basketball Downs Eastern Oregon in Overtime

REDDING, Calif. - Jacob Kaler scored a career-high 37 points and led Simpson to an 88-81 overtime victory Saturday at the Heritage Center. The Red Hawks avenged an 88-77 loss to the Mountaineers on Friday to open the season.

SU outscored EOU 19-12 in the extra session after the Simpson defense held off a final possession by Eastern at the close of regulation. Sam Siler's defense forced an off-balance shot by Trell Washington for EOU and the teams headed to overtime tied at 69. Washington led the Mountaineers on the night with 27 points and 12 rebounds for his second straight double-double, but the Red Hawks answered with four players in double figures.

Otar Pkhakadze (17), Josh Brakkee (14), and Josh Delamarter (10) also tallied in double digits to go along with Kaler's 37. Kaler's eight rebounds led the Red Hawks, and Pkhakadze dished out seven assists.

Simpson closed the first half on a 24-5 run over the last 9:30 to turn a 12-point deficit (25-13) into a seven-point advantage at the intermission. Kaler's three as the clock wound down sent the Red Hawks to the locker room will all the momentum. That momentum, however, was taken back in the open half of the second period. SU scored the first two points of the half, but Eastern answered with a 19-0 run to build a 10-point lead (49-39) with 12:03 to play.

The Red Hawks chipped away at the EOU lead and eventually took the lead 58-56 with 4:47 remaining on Pkhakadze's three-point basket. The two teams would battle back and forth down the stretch before heading to overtime. Washington's basket with :12 left tied it, and the Mountaineers had the final shot in regulation after an SU turnover on the in-bounds pass. Siler drew the defensive assignment on Washington forcing the miss and completing the defensive stand.

Minus two free throws by Joseph Bosetti, Kaler and Pkhakadze were the only Red Hawks to score in the extra session. SU built a five-point lead midway through the overtime and then converted three straight defensive stops into points to take an 11-point lead (85-74), its largest of the night. The Red Hawks closed out the victory, 88-81.

The Red Hawks hit 10-22 from behind the arc and held the Mountaineers to just 4-22 shooting from deep. 

Simpson travels to Ashland, Oregon to face Oregon Tech on Saturday for a 12:00 p.m. tip in the Southern Oregon Tipoff Classic.
 
Print Friendly Version