Boxscore

Post-Game Interviews with senior Cole Prophet and assistant coach E.J. Haralson.

DETROIT -- The Wayne State University men's basketball team (8-2 overall, 7-0 GLIAC) defeated 24th-ranked University of Findlay (9-3 overall, 6-2 GLIAC) 65-61 in overtime Saturday afternoon at the Matthaei.  It was WSU's third straight home court victory over the Oilers.

The Warriors tied the game at 55-55 following an offensive rebound and lay-up by junior forward Gerald Williams-Taylor (Flint, Mich. / Northern) with just under 30 seconds remainingin regulation.  UF's Brad Piehl had a jumper go off the mark in the final few seconds sending the contest into overtime.

Findlay won the tip to start the extra session and Jack Smith, who had a game-high 17 points, scored from down low off a feed from Sean Samsel.  A Williams-Taylor basket on the ensuing possession tied the game at 57-57.  Junior guard Chene Phillips (Detroit, Mich. / Renaissance) came up with a steal from UF's Aaron Robinson leading to Phillips fast-break lay-up, which gave the Warriors the lead for good.

On the Oilers next three possessions, the visitors were not able to score because of 0-for-3 shooting plus another miscue.  WSU senior forward Ian Larkin (Detroit, Mich. / Renaissance) made two free throws pushing the lead to four.  A Greg Kahlig lay-up made it a two-point game but junior guard Mike Hollingsworth (Utica, Mich.) answered with a jumper making it 63-59 with 1:28 remaining.   

Senior guard Cole Prophet (Sandusky, Ohio) split a pair from the charity stripe after Findlay's Piehl missed another jumper.  Robinson was fouled attempting a three-point shot with 41.6 seconds left, and made 2-of-3 cutting the Warrior advantage to three (64-61).

After an offensive foul call on junior forward Bryan Coleman (Southfield, Mich. / Lathrup), Robinson misfired on a shot from beyond the arc with 10 seconds left and Larkin grabbed the rebound.  Larkin split a pair from the foul line to complete the scoring with 8.6 seconds left.

The contest was tied three times in the first four minutes, the last coming at 7-7.  Following Hollingsworth's jumper from the paint, the Oilers went on a 15-5 run to take a 22-12 lead with 6:30 remaining in the first half.  The Warriors ended the opening 20 minutes on a 14-7 run to pull within three (29-26) at intermission.

UF's Smith scored the first four points of the second half giving the visitors a seven point lead.  A Mark Frilling basket gave Findlay a nine-point advantage (37-28) with just over 15 minutes left in regulation, but the Warriors responded with a 7-0 spurt coming on a conventional three-point play Prophet, a baseline drive and dunk by Hollingsworth and capped off with a steal and dunk by Phillips.  A bucket by Smith ended the four minute Oiler drought.

Phillips had a conventional three-point play and a Larkin jumper from the paint came after a pair of foul shots by Piehl.  A lay-up by Hollingsworth gave WSU a 42-41 lead, its first since 5-4.  Samsel's lay-up regained the lead for UF, but Wayne State answered with an 8-0 run as Larkin scored from inside, Prophet hit a pair of free throws and a floating jumper from the paint sandwiched around a Hollingsworth lay-up.  Robinson pulled the Oilers within four (50-46) with a triple at the 3:26 mark.  After Phillips split a pair from the charity stripe, Greg Kahlig connected from beyond the arc making it a two-point contest (51-49).

Prophet scored again from the paint and Robinson answered with a jumper making it 53-51 Warriors.  A missed field goal for WSU led to a fast-break lay-up by Piehl to knot the game at 53 with 1:24 remaining.

Prophet missed from downtown and Kahlig scored off a dish from Robinson putting the visitors in front 55-53 with 48 seconds left setting up the aforementioned late in regulation heroics for Williams-Taylor.

After shooting 37 percent (10-of-27) in the first half and 39 percent (12-of-31) in the second half, the Warriors responded by connecting on 3-of-4 field goal attempts (75 percent) in the overtime stanza.

Findlay made 39 percent (10-of-26) in the opening 20 minutes and followed that with 41 percent (10-of-24) in the second period.  In overtime, the Oilers were just 2-of-8 including 0-for-3 from beyond the arc.

Hollingsworth led three Warriors in double figures 15 points, while Prophet contributed 13 points and Larkin added 12 points.  Hollingsworth and Larkin tied for game-high rebounding honors with nine each.  Phillips had a WSU season-best five steals.

Besides Smith's 17 points, Piehl had 13, Kahlig 11 and Robinson 10.  Frilling grabbed a UF high seven rebounds off the bench.

Wayne State's homestand will continue next week with contests against Northwood (Thursday at 6 p.m.) and Saginaw Valley (Saturday at 1 p.m.).

Notes:

Two of the biggest margins was points in the paint were the Warriors held a 44-26 advantage, and points off turnovers where WSU led 25-13.  The Wayne State defense forced Findlay into 23 turnovers, the most by an Oiler squad since an overtime loss at Tarleton State on Nov. 18, 2006, a span of exactly 200 non-exhibition games.

The 61 points allowed by Wayne State was the fewest scored by Findlay in a meeting since a 55-53 UF win at home on Jan. 3, 2008, a span of 13 series match-ups.