HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, VA – Eastern Mennonite came away with a 90-81 double overtime win over Hampden-Sydney Basketball on Saturday afternoon. Hampden-Sydney is now 10-5 overall and 3-3 in the ODAC while Eastern Mennonite is 11-4 and 4-2.

Neither team could score until the 16:27 mark when a Marcel Crump three broke the scoreless drought, but the Tigers didn't put a point on the scoreboard until 14:17 on a pair of Greg Lewis (Mechanicsville, VA / Hanover) free throws. That spurred seven sraight Tiger points as they led 7-5 at 12:44. The Royals scored the next eight to go ahead 13-7, but the game continued to be one of runs. With the game tied 21-21 at 6:16, and a 14-2 run put H-SC up 35-23 at 2:38. EMU scored the last seven points of the half to go into intermission trailing 35-30.

The Tigers struggled out of the gate in the second half with turnovers as back-to-back giveaways resulted in EMU taking back the lead at 41-40 at 15:39. With Eastern Mennonite leading by three, 48-45, but an 8-0 spurt capped off by a Lewis three pointer put H-SC back out in front 53-48 with 10:37 left in regulation. The Tigers continued to hold the lead the rest of the second half, still up 65-61 following a Mitch Owens (Williamsburg, VA / Walsingham) trifecta at 2:36.

Ryan Yates missed a jumper at 1:49, but EMU got the board back, and a foul sent Yates to the line where he made two shots to make it a two-point game. The Tigers turned over the ball on their next possession, and H-SC forced a missed Yates three and grabbed the rebound with 56 seconds to go. H-SC looked to attack in transition but missed a layup. Crump made the Tigers pay and tied the game on a layup six seconds later. H-SC called a timeout with 35 ticks left on the clock. Mike Murray (Norfolk, VA / Norfolk Christian) gave H-SC the 67-65 lead at 17 seconds on a layup. James Williams drove down the middle of the paint and dished off the ball to David Falk who slammed it home with three seconds remaining to tie the game. H-SC managed to get off a shot at the buzzer but it was a three from well beyond halfcourt.

Hampden-Sydney led the majority of the first overtime, but never by more than three points. A Yates triple at 1:49 gave the Royals their only lead of the first extra period but Lewis replied with a three pointer of his own with 45 seconds left to give H-SC a 78-76 advantage. On EMU's next possession, Yates missed a runner in the lane, but Falk cleaned up the boards and converted a layup at the 23-second mark. Murray missed a three at the buzzer as the game went to double overtime.

Crump made a layup at 4:32 in double overtime to give EMU a two-point lead and led the entire rest of the way.

Owens had a team-high 25 points (10-15 FGs, 5-9 threes) along with four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Murray narrowly missed out on a triple-double with 14 assists, nine points, and nine rebounds. His 14 assists set a school single-game record, breaking the record of 13 set by Marcus Gregory in 2002. Lewis came off the bench to tally 17 points (5-6 FGs, 4-5 3s), three steals, and three boards. Jake Duncan (Williamsburg, VA / Williamsburg Christian) chimed in with 11 points and four rebounds, and Leon Hargrove (Raleigh, NC / Middle Creek) contributed nine points and six caroms.

Falk had a game-high 21 rebounds to go with 17 points. Crump had a game-high 33 points and shot 11-15 from the floor. Yates contributed 12 points and eight boards while Jerome Jones added on 12 points.

H-SC had a big advantage beyond the arc, going 13-28 compared to 7-28 for EMU. The Royals offset the three-point barrage with a 23-31 performance at the free throw line compared to just 6-14 for H-SC. EMU outscored H-SC 38-22 in the paint.

Hampden-Sydney begins a three-game stretch of road games this Wednesday with a 7 pm game at Lynchburg College.