MBB Drops OT Thriller to Daniel Webster

NEW LONDON, Conn. – A basket by Rondell Best in the final second of overtime pushed Daniel Webster College to an 89-87 victory at Mitchell College on Tuesday afternoon in a New England Collegiate Conference men's basketball match-up at the Yarnall Athletic Center.

Mitchell had tied the game on the previous possession thanks to a three-pointer by Frank Martin from the left wing with 14 seconds to play in the extra period. The Eagles then gave the ball to Best for the final shot, and he drove into the paint before releasing a floater that hit off the front rim and rolled in with .7 seconds remaining.

Best finished with a season-high 34 points to lead all scorers and added 12 rebounds and four assists. Ray Farmer chipped in with 21 points, seven rebounds and eight assists while Angelo Adon came off the bench to contribute 10 points.

Parris Hill led Mitchell with 27 points and 10 boards while Donavan McClean had 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Martin shot 4-for-7 from three-point range and finished with 16 points to go with five assists and three steals, and Alan Morgan rounded out the Mariners in double digits with 12 points and five assists.

The Mariners built a 10-point lead in the opening half as Hill and McClean provided the early offense. Daniel Webster closed the gap in the final five minutes of the stanza, with Best and Farmer combining for 21 of their team's 38 points. Mitchell took a 39-38 lead into the halftime intermission thanks to a layup by Morgan with six seconds to go in the period.

The score was close throughout the second half, with the Eagles owning the largest margin at 65-59 with 7:09 to go. Mitchell took the lead back on another three-pointer by Martin, the first of three lead changes and four ties in the final 5:10 of regulation. The Mariners pulled ahead three times during the stretch, but in each instance it was Best who answered to tie the game.

With the score knotted at 75-75, both teams had a chance for the lead in the final 30 seconds. McClean drew a foul but missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity, and Best claimed the rebound to give the Eagles the final possession of regulation. Following a timeout, Daniel Webster went to Farmer on the low block, but he was double teamed and didn't get off a shot before the buzzer sounded.

Jared Harrington—who scored all four of his points in overtime—opened the extra period with a jumper to put the Eagles in front. Best and Farmer combined for the next eight DWC points, and another jumper by Harrington gave the visitors an 87-84 lead with 32 seconds to play. Martin then evened things up with his three-ball, setting the stage for the late heroics from Best.

Mitchell (1-8 overall, 0-3 NECC) will next host Wheelock College on Thursday, January 14 at 5 p.m. Daniel Webster (5-6 overall, 2-0 NECC) returns to action at home against Southern Vermont College on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.