A Tyler Nading steal and subsequent lay-in by the freshman gave the Washington University men’s basketball team a thrilling 101-100 lead at the end of double overtime regulation on Sunday, as the Bears held on to defeat rival Emory University, 102-100, giving the University a thrilling win on Senior Day and capping a two-victory weekend at the Field House.
The Bears possessed comfortable leads for most of the afternoon, but the visiting Eagles managed to hang around. The University extended its lead to 17 points with just over 12 minutes remaining after senior Mike Grunst hit a pair of free throws. For the next four minutes, the teams played relatively even basketball, with the visitors unable to reduce the lead to single digits.
The Eagles, however, used a three-minute stretch to go on a 14-4 run and tie the game at 69 with 5:35 left. They then reeled off another big run, outscoring the hosts 12-4 during a two-minute stretch late in the game and taking a seemingly commanding 81-73 lead.
Despite trailing by seven with two minutes to play, the Bears refused to quit. Senior sharpshooter Scott Stone sunk a jumper and Nading, Stone, and freshman point guard Sean Wallis knocked down six consecutive free throws, as the Bears evened the score at 88 with 1:10 to play. The score remained knotted throughout the remainder of regulation as the University Athletic Association (UAA) rivals headed into overtime. It was just the second time this year that the University has found itself in such a predicament.
After sophomore Danny O’Boyle sunk two free throws and then knocked down a three-pointer, the Bears led 93-88, but Emory managed to chip away at the lead for the duration of the extra frame, taking a 95-93 lead with under a minute to play. Junior Jonathan Breshears hit a lay-up with 0:46 remaining and the teams found themselves headed for a second extra session, where Nading would cap a career day with his late-game heroics.
Nading finished with a team-high 22 points on an uncanny seven-of-nine shooting from the field. Stone added 19 points in a gutsy performance in which he played 48 minutes, picking up the slack for big men Troy Ruths and Grunst, both of whom fouled out in a total of 46 minutes of playing action. Notably, he shot 10-for-12 from the free throw line. Sophomore Ruths and Grunst each scored 13 points despite having their action limited due to foul trouble. O’Boyle added 19 for the University, who shot 46-of-59 as a team from the charity stripe.
Sunday marked the final time that the Bears’ four seniors will play in the University Field House. Besides Grunst and Stone, guard and captain Ian Ashcroft-Williams also donned his home-white uniform for the final time. Forward Josh Henry, another senior, was sidelined due to an injury.
Friday’s victory over Case Western University was less the thriller and more the highlight reel. The University took a double-digit halftime lead and never looked back, scoring a season-high 111 points in cruising to a 111-74 victory. Coach Mark Edwards emptied the bench early and 13 Bears found their way into the scoring column. The University was led by O’Boyle, who scored 22 points, including a torrid six-of-eight shooting from three-point land. Stone added 20 points and eight assists, while Ruths and Nading added 19 and 14 points, respectively. Ashcroft-Williams also saw action, scoring nine points on perfect four-for-four shooting in just seven minutes of action.
With the weekend’s pair of wins, the University improved to 15-7 overall and 7-4 in UAA conference play. The squad hits the road next weekend at Brandeis University and New York University.