Daniel Sokolov

Wolves Fall to Deacons in OT

11/20/2016 2:29:00 AM

Box Score Paul Starkebaum, Sports Information Director

A hot start was not enough for the Wolves tonight as Walla Walla University (1-3) fell to the Deacons of New Hope Christian College (2-10) in Overtime. The Wolves were in control for much of the game tonight, but they got down late in the second half and had to make a comeback to push the game into overtime. New Hope stayed in the game with their three point shooting and hustle plays, and generating turnovers. Walla Walla focused on getting the ball inside, a strategy that worked well for most of the night, but the mix of a few late turnovers and sharp shooting of the Deacons was just enough to take down the Wolves.

Right out of the gate the Wolves were running. Isaiah Taylor hit back to back threes to open the game. Dylan Browning hit two free throws, and a lay-up from Alex Calloway made it 10-2 in favor of the Wolves. From there, the Deacons would go on a 13-5 run, tying the game at 15-15. Chad Torkelsen came off the bench and hit back to back threes to push the Wolves back up by 6. The game went back and worth, when the Wolves would take the lead and the Deacons would crawl back into the game. The Deacons connected on six first half three pointers, and every one of them came at key times that kept them in the game. As time expired in the first half, Andrew Nye hit a three-point field goal to cap off a 9-3 run by the Wolves, putting them ahead 46-41 heading into the half.

The second half continued the trend of the first, with New Hope and the Wolves trading buckets, but for the most part the Wolves would maintain a lead between four to eight points. Despite only shooting 36% for the game, the Deacons generate extra possessions to stay in the game. The Wolves turned the ball over 33 times, and while they shot 55% overall and out rebounding the Deacons, 49-37, the Deacons took 15 more shots. Late in the second half, the Wolves found themselves down. Pressure generated by Trent Torkelsen would lead to several turnovers late by New Hope, and that would prove enough for Alec Calloway and Isaiah Taylor to each chip in enough shots to tie the game up and send it into overtime.

The overtime period played out similarly to the second half, as the Wolves were plagued by turnovers, which led to baskets for Hew Hope. As time expired, Chad Torkelsen hit his third three pointer of the night, but the Wolves were down four points and time expired as the ball went through the net, giving New Hope the victory. Phillip Cook lead the Deacons in scoring, with 18 points and 9 rebounds. Isiah Large had 17 points. Aaron Proctor, Andrew Vela, and Sasha Lomakin all had over 12 points for the game.

Walla Walla was led by Isaiah Taylor in scoring who finished with 22 points. Alex Calloway had 18 points and 11 rebounds. Chad Torkelsen was the only other Wolf to have over 10 points, finishing with 11. The Wolves take on New Hope again tomorrow at 4 p.m.

For the Men's Basketball Schedule CLICK HERE

Follow @theUwolves Wolves on Twitter

Follow theuwolves on Instagram

Like Walla Walla University Wolves on Facebook

Print Friendly Version