Scott O'Gallagher had a game-high 29 points for the Knights, but it wasn't enough as WPC fell in OT to Bethel, 86-73.
Overtime Loss Ends Postseason Run for Warner Pacific
POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. – Scott O’Gallagher scored a game-high 29 points but it wasn’t enough to carry Warner Pacific in its first-round game here at the NAIA Division II men’s basketball tournament. The unseeded Knights fell in overtime, 86-73, to ninth-seeded Bethel College (Ind.) in the single-elimination tournament. WPC ended its season 22-11.
Two other Cascade Conference teams, Eastern Oregon and Oregon Tech, are still awaiting their first-round matchups. EOU, the tourney’s seventh seed, will play at 3:45 p.m. PT today against Edward Waters (Fla.). OIT, the 11th seed, plays its first-round contest Thursday night at 5:30 p.m. PT vs. Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio).
The Knights appeared to have the game in control in the closing moments of regulation, even appearing to win the game on a 3-pointer at the buzzer, but the long, upward carom on Jeremy Reedal’s shot from the top of the key was ruled to have come in contact with the basketball support before dropping through the net and was disallowed.
In overtime, it was all Bethel, which outscored the Knights 16-3 in the extra session to win going away. Bethel, which improved to 28-6, had four players score in double figures, including Tyler Brown (28 points), William Walker (16), Mark Lettinga (13) and Kory Lantz (12).
It was Warner Pacific that took control of the game early, jumping out to a 21-11 lead. Bethel outscored the Knights 10-2 over a three-minute stretch to pull within two, 23-21. Warner Pacific led by three, 37-34, at intermission.
The lead switched hands several times in the second half as neither team was able to pull away. With the score tied at 57, Warner Pacific outscored Bethel 9-2 to take a seven-point lead with three minutes to play. The Pilots, however, battled back and tied the score at 70 on a pair of free throws by Ryne Lightfoot with 11 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, Reedal took a last-gasp pass from O'Gallagher and let fly with his ill-fated 3-point attempt that set off a short-lived celebration on the WPC bench.
In the overtime period, the Knights grabbed the lead, 73-72, but Bethel came back to score the final 14 points of the game to earn the win.
Two other Knights scored in double figures: Jalonta Martin, who had 15 points and eight rebounds before fouling out late in regulation, and Josh Jackson, who had 12 points.
Bethel, the Mid-Central Conference regular season and postseason champion, shot 46 percent from the field and outrebounded the Knights 43-34. Warner Pacific shot 44 percent from the field and 32 percent from 3-point range.
The 32-team tournament continues through Tuesday night.