HIRAM, Ohio – November 20, 2021 – Hiram men's basketball dropped a hard fought overtime contest vs. Waynesburg, 73-67, inside Price Gymnasium.

About four minutes into the ballgame, Chance Wells extended the Hiram lead sinking a three-point shot making it 8-2.

As the scoring picked up early in the first half, Matt Popeck scored consecutive three-point shots as Waynesburg stayed right in it at 13-12 with 13:45 remaining.

Another Wells three-ball pushed the Terriers lead to eight as the home team took a 23-15 lead with under ten minutes to go in the half. Coming down the stretch in the first half, Brodgie Gordon preserved the Terriers lead at eight after jump shot as the Hiram lead held strong.

Heading into the break, Popeck scored five straight points for the Yellow Jackets, as both teams headed to the locker room with the Terriers leading 37-34.

Coming out of the break, the back-and-forth contest continued. After trading buckets to start, Spencer Willman drained two free throws as Hiram held a 48-42 lead. A 7-0 run from Waynesburg with just over ten minutes remaining in the half saw the visiting squad take a 49-48 lead.

Down the stretch, Waynesburg secured a five-point lead after a pair of free throws from Popeck. After Ryan Felberg increased the Yellow Jackets lead to 59-52, Hiram began to come back.

Doug Sartain knocked down a jump shot with 34 seconds remaining with the Terriers trailing 63-61. Gordon helped take the game into overtime, making a jump shot to tie it at 63 with 17 seconds left.

Nijon Kirkman made the first basket of overtime for Waynesburg, with Willman following as the game was tied at 65. Bryson Wilt made a three-point shot followed by two free throws from Felberg as the Yellow Jackets took a five-point lead.

Willman made another jump shot to make it 70-67, but it would be the final bucket for Hiram. Waynesburg finished overtime with three free throws as the away side picked up the victory at 73-67.

A balanced scoring effort from Hiram saw both Kevin Beans Jr. and Sartain finish with 14 points. Gordon had 11 points with Willman picking up ten. On the glass, Oliver Clingain snatched 15 rebounds, a season-high. Tyler McMillion and Gordon were behind Clingain with seven rebounds each as Gordon also had a team-high five assists.

As a team, Hiram shot 33.3% from the floor and 25.0% from three. Waynesburg finished at 37.0% from the field and 36.8% from deep range. The Terriers picked up 56 rebounds with the Yellow Jackets bringing down 41.

With the defeat, Hiram moves to 2-2 on the young season falling in their first overtime contest of the year. The Terriers next play at Bluffton on Saturday, Nov. 27 with a tip-off time scheduled for 3 p.m.