Box Score SHREVEPORT, LA:  The tenth ranked Texas Wesleyan University men’s basketball team (6-1, 3-0 RRAC), playing without two regular starters, erased an 18 point deficit in the second half and held on to win a triple-overtime thriller at sixth ranked LSU-Shreveport (3-5, 1-2) on Saturday.
 
The Rams shot just 22% from the field and 14% (2-of-14) from three-point range in the first half.  After a layup from Jazz Holman 2:46 into the contest, the Pilots allowed just one field goal over the next eleven and a half minutes to jump ahead 20-9.  Eric Frederick contributed eight points and six rebounds in the period, but LSUS rode 15 points from Derrick Parker to a 34-18 lead at the break.
 
The turnaround started almost immediately in the second half.  After LSUS got the first basket of the period to snag a 36-18 lead, Oscar Griffin hit a three.  Griffin went on to score seven points during a 12-3 run that cut the deficit to single digits at 39-30.
 
The Rams continued to chip away and finally made it a one-possession game when a three from Brian Talley brought the score to 53-50 with 2:49 on the clock.  Parker hit a free throw for the Pilots, giving him four points in the second half and pushing the Pilot lead to four.  Frederick then drew a foul and hit a pair of free-throws.  After a defensive stop. Frederick scored in the lane to tie the game at 54.  After a TWU turnover, the Pilots held the ball with 25 seconds to play.  LSUS played for the final shot, but Isiah Bazile had to force up a long three that did not fall and the game rolled into overtime.
 
Talley started the first overtime with a bucket that gave Texas Wesleyan its first lead since the score read 7-5.  The Rams led 59-56 with 34 seconds to play when Jake Greene drained a three to tie the game again.  The Rams held for the final shot, but could not convert.
 
In the second OT, the Pilots led 65-61, but Talley drained a three, and after a defensive stop, Griffin hit one-of-two at the line to tie the game at 65.  A defensive stop gave the ball back to Wesleyan with 12 seconds on the clock, but the Pilots forced a turnover with one tick remaining.
 
The Rams started the third overtime with two buckets from Griffin and another from Chris Angsomwine to finally take control at 73-67.  The Pilots cut the score to 73-69, but Texas Wesleyan hit 6-of-8 at the free-throw line to stretch their lead to 79-69 with 29 seconds to play.
 
The game was just the second triple-overtime contest in Texas Wesleyan University history, with the only other occurrence being a 61-58 win against Centenary at the All-College Tournament in Oklahoma City, OK, on January 14, 1949.  The program has seen seven double-overtime games in which they hold a 5-2 record.
 
With 55 minutes of game-time, seven players played at least 50 minutes and nine played 40 or more.  Meanwhile, the Texas Wesleyan bench outscored the LSU-Shreveport bench 3-0.
 
“Our preseason conditioning paid off tonight,” commented head coach Terry Waldrop.  “We evaluate ourselves as the best conditioned team in America.  That was an incredible way to gut out a win against an inspired team on their home court.  This was a complete team effort coming in short handed and dealing with a lot of adversity.”
 
For the game, the Rams outshot the Pilots 33%-32% from the floor.  Neither team shot well from long range.  The Pilots came into the game hitting 32% from long range while the Rams ranked second in the nation at 44%.  However, the Rams managed just 6-of-27 (22%) while the Pilots hit 2-of-25 (8%).
 
The Rams hammered the Pilots 62-45 on the glass, and used 22 offensive rebounds to outscore LSUS 22-7 on second chance opportunities.
 
Frederick played all 55 minutes and finished with 30 points and 21 rebounds.  Griffin added 20 points and nine rebounds, and Talley finished with 17 points in the win.  Holman earned the start and contributed five points, seven assists, and 11 rebounds in 54 minutes.
 
Parker also played all 55 minutes and finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds.  Greg Shyne led the Pilots with 28 points, while Bazile added 16 points and eight boards.
 
The Rams will return to action with a pair of exhibition games against NCAA Division I competition at Stephen F. Austin’s E-Tech Classic.  They will take on Florida International University on Saturday, December 10, and Alabama State University on the 11th.  Both games are scheduled for 2:00 p.m. starts in Nacogdoches, TX.