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UD men’s basketball tops Towson in overtime

Robin Wentt had 16 points and 18 rebounds in the victory over Towson.

1:14 p.m., Feb. 9, 2004--Senior guard Mike Ames hit a three-pointer with two seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime and the University of Delaware men’s basketball team went on to defeat Towson University 80-76 in a Colonial Athletic Association contest played Saturday afternoon at the Bob Carpenter Sports/Convocation Center.

It was the third time the Fightin’ Blue Hens have gone to overtime this season.

With the victory, UD improved to 13-8 overall and 7-5 in the CAA. The Hens remain tied with George Mason University for third place in the conference. Virginia Commonwealth and Drexel are tied for first at 9-3 and Old Dominion is in second at 8-4.

UD will take to the road for a pair of games, traveling to the College of William & Mary on Wednesday, Feb. 11, and to Old Dominion University on Saturday, Feb. 14.

The Hens will return home to face the University of North Carolina Wilmington at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 16, at the Bob Carpenter Center.

In Saturday’s game, UD junior forward Robin Wentt posted his second consecutive double-double with 16 points and a career-high 18 rebounds. That was the most rebounds collected by a UD player since Greg Smith pulled down 21 against the University of Vermont on Jan. 12, 1997.

Ames added 16 points for the Hens while guards Mike Slattery, David Lunn and Rulon Washington scored 10 points each. Washington, who came off the bench, also had 10 rebounds.

Towson had four scorers in double figures, with guard Jamaal Gilchrist leading the way with 17 points. Mike Green had 15 points, nine rebounds and four assists, Lawrence Hamm had 14 points and nine rebounds, and Tony Dixon had 11 points.

Despite shooting just 36 percent from the field in the first half, the Hens built a 38-29 halftime lead. They maintained the lead until Towson's Jonathan Pease connected on a three-pointer to tie the game at 54-54 with 6:26 remaining in regulation. The Pease shot capped an 11-4 Tiger run.

Towson later broke a 57-57 tie with a 6-0 run as Gilchrist and Derrick Goode converted lay-ups and Green hit on two free throws with 2:17 left to take a 63-57 lead.

But the Hens, as they have done so often this season, rallied in the final moments. Washington connected on a three-pointer and Wentt scored inside to tie the game at 64-64 with 1:03 remaining.

Hamm gave Towson the lead with a jumper and the Tigers extended the lead to three points when Gilchrist, who hit the winning field goal in the final seconds in Towson's 70-68 win over UD on Jan. 10, converted two free throws with 18 seconds remaining.

Washington had a chance to tie the game for the Hens but his three-pointer with eight seconds remaining missed. Hustling to the ball, Washington gathered in the rebound and passed to Lunn at the top of the key who then found Ames in the right corner for the game-tying three-pointer with two seconds remaining.

Neither team led by more than a field goal in the overtime session until the final minute. The Hens, who had struggled all day at the foul line, converted when it counted. Lunn hit two free throws with 28 seconds left to give the Hens the lead for good at 78-76. After Hamm missed a jumper for Towson, Slattery sealed the victory with two free throws with six seconds left.

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