CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The Coe College men's basketball team played its second straight double overtime game at Kohawk Arena Saturday afternoon, defeating the Nebraska Wesleyan University Prairie Wolves 77-75 in double OT. Coe and Nebraska Wesleyan played a highly competitive game in regulation with the lead changing hands 24 times. The Prairie Wolves had the largest lead of the game at 10 with 8:15 to play in the second half but the Kohawks fired back over the closing stretch, ending the game on a 23-13 run.
Cooper Nailor registered the all-important game-tying bucket in the dying seconds, knocking down an off-balanced jumper to tie it at 61 and send it to OT. Coe held a two-point lead with 47 seconds left in the initial overtime period but free throws and a missed chance from the Kohawks forced the teams into another stanza. The teams were nearly inseparable again in the final five minutes but Nailor came up with the game-winning bucket in grinder style, corralling an offensive rebound before laying in the winning shot.
Bennett Sherry was Coe's leading scorer in the victory, posting 22 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
Zach Strauss scored a career-high 18 points off the bench, going 4-of-10 from beyond the arc and 6-of-6 at the free throw line.
Deuce Walters and
Cole Hrubes were the final two Kohawks in double-figures, scoring 11 and 10 points to complement the heavy hitters.
COE 77 - NWU 75 2 OT
GAME FACTS
- Coe got off to a solid start in the low-scoring first-half, opening the game with six of the first eight points. NWU slowly grew into the game, outscoring Coe 11-6 during the next phase of action to lead 13-12 just over halfway through the period. The squads traded buckets over the closing minutes of the half, each scoring 13 points along the way. Zach Strauss led the Kohawks, knocking down a 3 and three free throws while Sherry hit a clutch 3 in the final minute. The hosts quickly erased a one-point halftime deficit in the second, scoring six of the first eight points to grab a 31-28 lead. The Prairie Wolves answered with a dominant defensive stretch, holding Coe scoreless while putting 11 points on the board to flip the score to 39-31 with 13:45 to play. NWU's lead grew to 10 around the 8-minute mark, grabbing the largest lead of the game at 48-38. The Kohawks got right back into the game, ripping off an 11-2 spurt that was fueled by a four-point play from Strauss. Wesleyan and Coe went toe-to-toe over the final stretch but a pair of free throws gave the Prairie Wolves a two-point lead with 24 seconds left. Strauss found Nailor in the final seconds on an inbound play, connecting with his fellow guard who connected on a midrange jumper to tie the game at 61. Coe erased a three-point deficit in the first OT period and later led 69-67 after a 3 from Hrubes. NWU forced another frame on the other end, hitting a pair of free throws before keeping Coe scoreless. The visitors scored the first four points of the second overtime, going up 73-69 with 3:36 remaining. Hrubes came up clutch yet again, scoring five unanswered points to regain a 74-73 lead for Coe. NWU momentarily took the lead on another bucket but Sherry converted 1-of-2 free throws to tie the game at 75. Both teams went cold in the final stretch but Nailor managed to break the lock, converting the game-winning layup with less than one second to play.
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