Wow!

11/16/2009 11:11:10 PM

Tyler Phillips

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EDMOND (Nov. 16) – Amazingly enough, a 3-point field goal didn't account for the final points in Central Oklahoma's season-opener against Emporia State Monday night at Hamilton Field House.

The two teams combined for 32 treys while shooting a remarkable 65.3 percent from beyond the arc, but it was two Tyler Phillips free throws with 10 seconds remaining that lifted the No. 17-ranked Bronchos past the Hornets in a 116-114 double-overtime thriller.

ESU made an uncanny 18-of-23 3-pointers (78.3 percent) in the contest, including a perfect 8-of-8 outing by Tim Niles in a scintillating 45-point performance.

UCO countered by hitting 14-of-26 treys (53.8 percent), with Shane Carroll downing 8-of-9 in a career-high 33-point explosion.

In the end, Phillips' free throws were the difference.

The sophomore forward broke the 14th tie of the second half with his two foul shots at 0:10 and the Hornets weren't able to get off a last-second 3-point try against UCO's pressure defense as the Bronchos held on.

Regulation ended in a 92-92 draw and Dauntae Williams scored nine points in the first extra session to help stake the Bronchos to a 105-102 advantage.

Two Phillips free throws with15 seconds left gave UCO that lead and those pressure makes became huge when Taylor Euler hit a tying 3-pointer for ESU at 0:09 to force another overtime.

Phillips had a pair of treys early in the second OT as the Bronchos took a 111-109 lead, but Niles hit his eighth trey at the 2:22 mark to put the Hornets up 112-111.

Williams converted a three-point play at 1:12 to give UCO a 114-112 lead and again the Hornets, answered, getting a tip-in from Adam Holthaus with 45 seconds left to tie it and set the stage for Phillips' game-winning free throws.

Carroll was 10-of-12 from the field with his eight treys and 5-of-5 from the line in his clutch 33-point performance to lead the Bronchos. Phillips scored 10 of his 21 points in the two OTs and Williams had 12 of his 14 in the extra periods, while Chris Rhymes scored19 points before fouling out in regulation and Brent Friday added 15.

UCO trailed by as many as 16 points (41-25) in first half before cutting the deficit to 48-37 at intermission and Carroll scored 12 points in a 16-7 run to open the second half that got the Bronchos within two at 55-53.

Victor Driver made two free throws at 12:35 to get UCO even at 58-all and it was back-and-forth the rest of the way. Carroll hit a 3-point with 35 seconds left to give the Bronchos a 92-90 lead, but ESU tied it on Wilbern's tip-in with six ticks remaining to arrange overtime.

UCO returns to action this weekend, traveling to St. Joseph, Mo. For two games in the Hillyard Classic.

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