December 13, 2006
Wolverines fall in double overtime, 97-93
GROVE CITY, Pa. – The Grove City College men's basketball team fell to 3-5 overall Wednesday night with a 97-93, double-overtime loss to visiting Hiram in non-conference action at the Grove City College Arena.
Grove City hit a pair of buzzer-beating shots to send the game to double overtime. However, Hiram (2-4) outscored Grove City 8-4 in the second overtime. Junior guard Joe Capotosta (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth) tied the game at 78 with a three-pointer as time expired in regulation. At the end of the first overtime, sophomore guard Ryan Gibson (North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) drained a 17-foot jumper from the right wing to tie the game at 89-all.
Gibson led Grove City with 20 points and seven assists while junior guard Shawn Carr (New Castle, Pa./Mohawk) fired in 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Senior Mark Smith (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) added 14 points while senior center Craig Hallman (Ellwood City, Pa./Riverside) recorded 12 points and nine rebounds.
Hiram jumped out to an 8-0 lead and led throughout the first half. The Terriers led 42-34 at the half and quickly extended the lead to double-digits. The Wolverines rebounded to take their first lead of the night with a 12-0 run. Hallman and Carr ignited the run with baskets while Capotosta and junior Ryan Gerber (Baltic, Ohio/Garaway) each hit three-pointers. A Hallman lay-up gave Grove City at 46-44 lead with 17 minutes left.
Smith buried a three-pointer with 32 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 75-75. Hiram's Kevin Shaffer answered with a triple of his own with 4.4 seconds left. Following a time-out, Gibson received the inbounds and fired the ball to Capotosta, who drained the game-tying three.
Michael McDevitt led Hiram with 21 points while Shaffer had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Hiram out-rebounded Grove City, 53-38. The Wolverines committed just 11 turnovers in the game.
The game featured 11 ties and 12 lead changes. It is Grove City's third overtime loss of the season and second in a five-day span. Last year, Grove City won in double overtime at Hiram, 77-76.
Grove City will return to action Dec. 29 at the McDonald's of Bluffton Tournament in Bluffton, Ohio against Cincinnati-Claremont at 6 p.m.
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