NORTH CANTON, Ohio - It may have taken 50 minutes of game time but the Walsh Cavaliers men's basketball team ended Saturday (Dec. 11) with a key Great Midwest win over the Trevecca Nazarene Trojans. The Cavaliers got clutch shots at the right times to prevail over the Trojans 89-83. 

Walsh improved to 5-2 overall and 3-0 in the G-MAC with their fourth straight victory.  

• Score: Walsh 89, Trevecca Nazarene 83 
• Location: North Canton, Ohio (Alumni Arena)
• Records: Walsh 5-2 (3-0), Trevecca Nazarene 3-6 (0-4)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Trevecca started off with a 7-2 run, including the first five points before Walsh answered with a 8-0 as the Cavaliers took a 10-7 lead in the opening four minutes. The Cavaliers took a 19-15 lead with 10:40 left on a Quentin Toles three pointer, but the Trojans rallied back with an 11-2 run, taking a 26-21 lead with 7:36 left before halftime. Trevecca led by as many as six in the final five minutes but Tim Smith Jr. hit two three pointers as the deficit was 31-29 at the intermission. 
• Garrison Keeslar started the second half with a three pointer, giving Walsh a 32-31 lead one minute in. Walsh pushed the lead to five points twice in the following six minutes. Trevecca regained the 53-52 lead with a 6-0 run, pulling away to a five point lead (57-52) with 4:10 left in regulation. Caleb Canter and Darryl Straughter combined to tie the game at 57 with 2:27 left. The teams exchanged baskets and free throws over the final two minutes. Walsh tied the game with 17 seconds left on Smith Jr. layup. The game was tied 61-61 after 40 minutes of play.
• Four lead changes took place in the first overtime as Straughter scored the first seven points for the Cavaliers. Every shot he made, the Trojans had an answer. Trevecca opened a four point lead with 55 seconds left but the Cavaliers didn't falter. Straughter hit a three to pull within one, but the Trojans converted two free throws with 29 seconds left. Owen Hazelbaker tied the game with nine seconds left as the score was deadlocked 71-71 after one overtime. 
• Walsh opened the second overtime period with a 8-1 run, including a pair of three pointers from Hazelbaker and Garrison Keeslar. Smith Jr. hit one free throw to put the Cavaliers on top for good. The Cavaliers led by as many as seven in the second overtime period as they outscored Trevecca 18-12. 

FOR THE CAVALIERS

• Darryl Straughter scored 28 points, including 24 in the last 30 minutes. He tallied 15 points in the overtimes. He made eight field goals, four three pointers and was eight-of-ten from the free throw line. He also had seven assists and five rebounds. 
• Keeslar had another double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds with five assists. He made six-of-ten free throws. 
• Hazelbaker picked the right times for his three treys in an 13-point effort. 
• Smith Jr. added 15 points off the bench with a trio of three pointers. 

FOR THE TROJANS

• Chris Rogers had a team-high 21 points on five threes. 
• CJ Penha went for 19 points and 15 rebounds. 
• Josh Price ended the game with 19 second half points and four assists. 

BEHIND THE NUMBERS

• Walsh finished the game with a 35.4% (28-79) shooting percentage while shooting over 34.9% from deep. The Cavaliers made 15 threes, out of 43 attempts. The Cavaliers took 27 free throws with 18 makes. 
• Trevecca Nazarene outshot Walsh by shooting 44.9% (31-69) from the floor and 35.7% (10-28) from three-point land. 
• Walsh tallied 46 rebounds and were out-rebounded by three, despite an 16-10 edge in the offensive rebound column.  

Walsh will head down Market Avenue to face the Malone Pioneers on Tuesday (Dec. 14) at 7:30 PM.

-WC-