Men's Basketball Final Shot: Feb. 10 - A Three Overtime Classic

Men’s Basketball Scoreboard (Feb. 10)
UIC 88, Youngstown State 83 (3ot)

Chutes and Ladders would be envious of the twists and turns put forth by Youngstown State and UIC on Sunday. In what turned into the 17^th Horizon League game of the year decided in overtime of the final minute of regulation, it was UIC outlasting Youngstown State, 88-83, at the Beeghly Center.

With the win, UIC (15-10, 6-6 Horizon) collected the season sweep of Youngstown State (14-11, 6-6 Horizon), giving the Flames a potentially important tie-breaker should the teams wind up tied in the Horizon League standings.

Gary Talton, who lifted the Flames into overtime with a double-clutch jumper with 0.8 ticks left in regulation, played 53 of 55 available minutes, leading the team with 23 points. Daniel Barnes was on court for 51 minutes, adding 20.

At the outset, had anyone suggested the game would turn into a three-overtime thriller, they likely would have been scoffed at. At the first media timeout, the Penguins led the Flames, 1-0, as the teams were a combined 0-of-13 from the field.

After the teams went into the half with Youngstown State holding a 19-16 lead, the play improved throughout the second half.

In the second half, Blake Allen became YSU's career record holder for three-pointers made in the contest. His record-breaking triple came at the 14:33 mark of the second half from the left wing on a pass from Kendrick Perry, and it sparked a 15-4 run for the Penguins that gave them a 40-31 lead with 11:44 left in regulation.

UIC scored the next seven points to make the score 40-38, and the Flames regained the lead at 47-46 on a Josh Crittle bucket with 4:12 remaining. That lead lasted just nine seconds, though, as Damian Eargle scored on YSU's next possession, and the Penguins led until Talton's bucket with 0.8 seconds left.

The Flames would seemingly hold the momentum in first overtime, holding a 66-63 lead late into overtime. UIC eschewed fouling, however, only to be burned when Perry drilled a three from the right side of the arc with 0.1 left, sending the game into a second overtime.

The second extra session would see Youngstown State hold the lead throughout, only to see UIC tie the game at 72 on a Hayden Humes three in the last minute. Perry staked the Penguins to a 70-66 lead early in the second OT before the Flames chipped away behind a Crittle free throw and Talton layup before Humes’ three knotted the game.

Both teams traded chances, with Perry’s runner missing with 15 seconds left ahead of Talton’s game-winning attempt that was wide left.

The Flames had 16 points in the third overtime, matching their output from the entire first half, as they never trailed.

Humes had a put-back on UIC's first possession of the third overtime, and Cole tied the score at 74-74 with 3:45 left on two free throws. Crittle made two free throws for the Flames with 2:42 left, and the visitors led the rest of the way. The closest YSU got was 78-77 on a three-point play by Perry, but Barnes’ three-pointer in the corner with 47 seconds left ended up being a dagger.

Perry finished with a game-high 29 points, while Allen added 16, knocking down five three-pointers to finish the game with 202, eclipsing the record of 198 held by Craig Haese (1997-01).

The Penguins shot 32.9 percent for the game and went a combined 5-for-20 in the three extra periods. YSU was also 20-for-33 total from the free-throw line for the game, but it was 14-for-19 in the overtimes. The Penguins had 13 three-pointers, with Perry following Allen with four and Kamren Belin hitting three en route to 14 points.

UIC shot 42.9 percent overall and 43.8 percent in overtime. Crittle joined Talton and Barnes in double figures with 18 points, while Marc Barnes added 12. Humes rounded out the quintet with 10.