Bates 85, Gordon 77
at Wenham, Mass.

MEN'S HOOPS DOWNS GORDON IN OT, 85-77

WENHAM, Mass. -- The Bates College men's basketball team (4-3) moved over the .500 mark for the first time with their second overtime victory of the season, 85-77, over Gordon College (1-4).

The Bobcats took an early lead in the nip-and-tuck first half, but only enjoyed a 35-32 halftime lead, thanks to a 3-pointer at the buzzer by junior Ed Walker (Roxbury, Mass.). Gordon bounced back in the second stanza, eventually taking an eight-point lead with 14 minutes remaining. Bates answered with a 10-0 run at that point and the teams remained close for the rest of regulation. The Fighting Scots forced overtime with a pair of free throws with seven seconds remaining to tie the score, 74-74. After three scoreless minutes in overtime, rookie guard Ramon Garcia (Haverhill, Mass.) hit a free throw to break the deadlock, followed by a Billy Hart (Haverhill, Mass.) 3-pointer that gave the Bobcats an unsurmountable four-point lead. Bates held on by hitting eight straight free throws in the overtime period.

Garcia hit four 3-pointers and led all scorers with 23 points, matching his career-high. He also added four assists and four rebounds. Three other Bobcats finished in double-figures, led by Walker's 16 on nine-of-12 from the line and Hart's 13. Junior Alex Wilson (Duxbury, Mass.) added 12 points, matching his season high. Junior Ben Donaldson (Lamoine, Maine) came off the bench to grab a team-high eight rebounds. The Bobcats outscored Gordon, 27-16 at the line, shooting 81 percent form the charity stripe.