AU Men's Basketball didn't look anything like the team the Crusaders whacked 24 points two weeks ago in Sunday's home rematch with the Crusaders. But for all their improvements, failures to convert opportunities put the Eagles back in overtime, 76-67.
The loss followed Friday night's 86-58 win over Army (3-18, 1-8 PL) in which junior Andre Ingram scored 23 points and shot 5-of-7 from three-point range and the Eagles held a 2-to-1 rebounding advantage.
AU (13-8, 6-3 Patriot League) had a chance to end the Crusaders' eight-game win streak in regulation. Trailing 57-56 with five seconds remaining, Ingram missed the second half of a one-and-one after being fouled when he nearly lost the ball out of bounds in front of his own bench. But, the game didn't have to come down one chance at the free throw line.
"I would guess about six to eight times we had the ball and thing seemed to be rushed," AU coach Jeff Jones said. "The bottom line is, we would make a good defensive play and get out in transition, but then not have anything to show for it. With a game of this intensity, you can't do that."
AU lost control of the game in a seven-minute span in the second half when both teams struggled to make the few shots they took. The Crusaders grinded out a 9-1 run in this period to take a 50-48 lead, forcing the Eagles to play catch-up the rest of regulation. Missed opportunities canceled a strong first half showing in which a 12-2 run gave them a 36-29 lead at the break.
Ingram, who had a game-high 22 points and back-to-back 20-point games for the first time this season, said he felt good about the free throw shot the game came down to.
"Any competitor wants to get a shot like that," he said. "For me, I'll just have to put that thought away."
Holy Cross, which had four players scoring in double figures, had to rely on its depth. Nate Lufkin, a 6-foot-11 starter, sat out due to injury, and leading scorer Kevin Hamilton was held to only 26-percent shooting for 14 points by a good AU perimeter defense.
Making up for that lost production was freshman center Tim Clifford took charge under the basket and had a game-high 13 rebounds and 13 points. Reserve point guard Torey Thomas made the difference in overtime with 8-of-10 free throw shooting for 15 points altogether.
"The biggest thing is that this team is so unselfish and respectful of each other," Holy Cross coach Ralph Willard said. "I told them we'd need a special effort today, and that's what we got."
The loss denied AU's bid at a share of first place with the Crusaders (17-5, 8-1 PL) and instead lodged them in a three-way tie for second place with Bucknell and Lehigh. It will be a battle to make up for the chance lost with defeat to Holy Cross: The Eagles play four of their final five games on the road, including ones against the Bison and Mountain Hawks. As long as his team can play more efficiently than it played Sunday, Ingram seemed eager to get another shot at the league's top team.
"We're getting better as a team and this game shows that," he said. "We're ready to see them again"
