By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Livonia, Mich.---Ja'Christian Biles scored 32 points as the No. 15 Schoolcraft College men's basketball team took down Owens Community College 106-101 in double overtime today.
The two teams were tied after each of the game's first three periods before Schoolcraft outscored Owens 19-14 over the final five minutes.
Shaakir Lindsey (Teaneck/Teaneck, N.J.) hit a pair of free throws to give Owens a 79-76 lead with 49 seconds left in regulation. However, Biles hit a jumper and Ronald Booth made one of two at the foul line to tie the game with 10 seconds left.
Kenny Jones (Clay/South Bend, Ind.) then had his potential game-winning lay-up blocked as the teams went to the first overtime.
Owens opened the first overtime session with a bang as Pete Firlik (Catholic Central/Grand Rapids, Mich.) hit a 3-pointer, Lindsey made a free throw and Jones threw down a dunk to secure an 85-79 lead through the first minute.
Down the stretch, however, Owens only made two of four from the foul line, while Deshawndre Black and James Pruitt hit lay-ups, the second of which tied the game at 87 with 12 seconds left. Lindsey missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have won the game for Owens.
In the second overtime, Lindsey's lay-up with 1:26 left pulled Owens within one at 96-95, but Schoolcraft went on a 7-0 run to put the game away. Biles made 4-for-4 from the foul line in the final 30 seconds and scored his team's final eight points.
Six players notched double-figures for Schoolcraft, led by a game-high 32 from Biles. He was followed by Pruitt (17), Booth (16), Black (15), Tyler Johnson (12) and Marcus Williams (12).
Lindsey, meanwhile, had a team-high 31 points for Owens on 8-for-13 shooting, including a 4-for-7 finish from 3-point range. He also made 11-for-13 from the foul line.
John Murry (North Central/Indianapolis, Ind.) added 22 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, along with five assists. Firlik (14) and Edmond Early Jr. (Thurgood Marshall/Dayton, Ohio) with 13 also reached double figures. Early Jr. had a team-high three steals, while Jones had a game-high four blocks.
Owens is now 11-4 overall, while Schoolcraft improves to 11-2. Owens had previously defeated Schoolcraft 99-92 at home earlier in the season.
Owens will continue its six game road trip with a 7:30 p.m. matchup against Mott Community College on Dec. 30.