HOLLAND — Thrilling doesn’t begin to capsulize Bowling Green’s stunning 73-72 comeback overtime victory
over the Springfield Blue Devils.
Down 51-41 after Springfield’s Chester McFadden scored inside with 7:38 to go in regulation, BG, despite
converting just 7-of-13 fourth quarter free throws and allowing the Blue Devils to grab four of their 12
offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter, pumped in 25 fourth-quarter points.
In short, the Bobcats, who lead the Northern Lakes League with a 10-0 mark while upping their season
ledger to 13-2, did what conference leaders do — they never give up. Springfield falls to 10-5, 6-4.
“Just to show our perseverance was a big lift to all of us,” said Chauncey Orr who led the Bobcats with
29 points before fouling out with 1:09 to go in overtime.
With their team behind 62-55, BG seniors Orr and Max Beattie sandwiched a foul line jumper and a trey
respectively around Springfield’s one-and-one miss from the charity stripe to pull the Bobcats to within
62-60 with 2:07 left. An Orr steal on Springfield’s next possession set up Xavier Brown who, after being
fouled, made one free throw.
Blue Devil Leroy Alexander, who led all players with 31 points while grabbing 10 rebounds, hit two free
throws which Orr answered with one of his own. McFadden, who scored 21 points and also nabbed 10 boards,
knocked down two free throws with 53 seconds to go to put Springfield up 66-62.
“Guys like Chester and Leroy, they attack like pit bulls,” said Brown who tallied 24 points on the night.
Brown scored inside with 41 ticks left. Alexander misfired on two free throws with 34 seconds to go, and
Orr muscled in a hoop inside to knot the game at 66-all with 19 seconds to go. After a timeout,
Springfield’s baseline jumper by Quinton Green (four points) wasn’t close, sending the game into
overtime.
“Xavier came in at the end of the fourth quarter when we tied it and said, ‘We are not losing this
game,’” said BG coach Von Graffin whose team led for just 3:29 of the 36-minute game but hit an
impressive 56 percent (28-of-50) including 6-of-12 from downtown.
Alexander drove the length of the court to open the scoring in overtime. At 3:08, Orr answered with two
free throws to tie the game. Within seconds, Brown stole a Springfield pass, was fouled and made one
free throw to give BG its first lead since 3-2 in the first quarter. Alexander drove for another hoop at
2:36 which Brown matched again within seconds on his own drive, putting BG ahead 71-70.
Beattie and Alexander swapped steals with the latter setting up McFadden for two free throws, at 1:07,
giving the Blue Devils a 72-71 advantage. Soon thereafter, BG put up a shot that Tyler Dunn tracked down
to set up sophomore center Vitto Brown for his only basket of the night with 54 seconds to go. McFadden
missed from the corner with Vitto Brown securing the rebound. Instead of holding the ball for a
potential foul, Xavier Brown, with 30 seconds left, headed for the hoop but his shot fell off,
Springfield rebounded and called timeout to set up a final shot.
“The mentality with 30 seconds to go is to try to make a play,” said Xavier Brown who redeemed himself by
tightly defending Alexander 18 feet from the hoop in the final 10 seconds and deflecting the ball away
for the win. “I’m just thinking, don’t let this guy shoot it. I moved my feet. He went up and didn’t
protect the ball, and I was able to get my hand in there.”
“We always talk about out-hustling mistakes,” said Graffin. “He (Xavier Brown) then hustled at the other
end, got a hand on Leroy before he could rise for his shot. There’s a kid who scored 31 on the night.
They’re going to him. We got Xavier on him, and Xavier makes a play.
“I thought the (senior) leadership tonight was incredible,” said Graffin who complimented Kurt Fairchild
on his three triples as well as the play of Beattie and the defense of Dunn, a junior. “I thought our
depth was better than their depth.”
Springfield led 16-11 after the first quarter. BG, behind eight second-quarter points from Xavier Brown
and two treys by Fairchild, closed to within 33-30 at the half. The Blue Devils, who shot 44 percent
from the floor (28-of-64), increased their lead to 47-41 heading into the final period.
The Bobcat reserves couldn’t overcome Springfield’s 11-0 start en route to a 49-37 loss. Evan Gardner
paced BG with 15 points.
