#14 Bulldogs Tiptoe By Panthers

RICHMOND, VA---It took all 45 minutes for the No. 14 Bowie State University Bulldogs to escape with a hard-fought 90-88 overtime win on the road against the Virginia Union University Panthers on Tuesday night.

With five seconds left in the extra stanza, Bulldogs forward Tim Washington went up for the potential game-winning jump shot just inside the 3-point line. His shot rimmed in and then out, straight into the hand of teammate Jon Smith's hands. Smith's soft putback split the twine as the buzzer sounded giving the Bulldogs (16-1 overall, 10-0 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) their 12th-consecutive victory.

"I just crashed the boards and it came right to me, thank God," said a tired Smith after the game. "I just wanted to make sure that I got the shot off."

Smith, who scored 20 points, was just one of the heroes on a night that saw the Bulldogs struggle, trailing the Panthers (6-6, 3-2) for most of the game, including by 12 points with 15 minutes left in the game. They came all the way back and held six point leads, first with two minutes to play at the end of regulation and then the overtime period, but saw those disappear, forcing them to attempt last-second game-winning attempts.

Washington put the Bulldogs on his back, scoring 33 points while grabbing a team-high 12 rebounds. The Bulldogs trailed 63-57 midway through the second half when Washington scored the Bulldogs' next 10 points, bringing them to within 70-67 with 5:10 to play.

Stephen Moss-Kelley had four points up to that point for the Bulldogs, but hit a 3-pointer from the right corner on the ensuing possession to knot the score at 70.

"I knew that if I was open I was going to shoot it," said Moss-Kelley. "It gave us confidence and we knew that it was a new ball game."

Jon Smith would dunk to give the Bulldogs a 78-72 lead with 1:34 to play. A layup by Luqman Jabbar and free throws by Duan Crockett brought the Panthers back to within 78-76 before Chris Moore banked home a jumper from the middle of the lane with 21 seconds left in regulation.

Bulldogs point guard Cornelius McMurray's 3-pointer at the buzzer was off the back of the rim and the teams went into overtime. He would finish with 13 points for the night in addition to his 14 assists.

Omarr Smith's jumper with just under two minutes left in overtime gave the Bulldogs an 88-83 lead, but the Panthers would tie it once again with a 3-pointer by Jabbar with 35 seconds left.

The Panthers held a decided advantage on the boards, hauling in 57 to the Bulldogs 43. Wayne Wallace had most of those as he brought down 22 by himself, adding 19 points as well. Jabbar led the Panthers with 23 points and Crockett would chip in with 19 points.

The Bulldogs take a break from CIAA action as they head to Columbia Union College on Thursday and the University of Pitt-Johnstown on Saturday.