For immediate release – 2/15/2012 - #230
LC Men's Basketball Falls to No. 5 Virginia Wesleyan in OT Thriller

LYNCHBURG, VA – The Lynchburg College men's basketball team took No.5 Virginia Wesleyan College to the brink on Wednesday night, but ultimately fell in overtime 73-62 in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) play.

Lynchburg held the lead for most of the game though VWC forced overtime and scored 11 straight points to emerge with the victory.

Senior Nate Campbell finished with 15 points and nine boards, while senior Tucker Lucas chipped in 12 points. Junior Austin Chillemi tallied 11 points and three blocks in the game.

Virginia Wesleyan controlled the initial minutes, leading 14-7 at the 15:01 mark after a dunk from Chris Astorga. LC fought back and took a 16-15 advantage after a three-point bucket from Lucas. The Hornets led by as many as seven in the first half and went into halftime with a 32-29 edge over the Marlins.

In the second half, Lynchburg stayed ahead of the Marlins for much of the frame though VWC took a three-point lead at 8:50. After two made free throws and a layup from Chillemi, LC was up 58-55 with 4:02 remaining but Astorga tied up the game with a three.

With 3:13 left in the game, Donald Vaughn gave the Marlins a 60-59 advantage until Campbell answered with a deep three to push the Hornets ahead 62-60 with 2:36 left. A jumper from Astorga tied the game at 62 with 1:31 remaining.

With 1.2 seconds on the clock, sophomore Andrew Simmons sank a shot from beyond half-court, though LC called a timeout just prior. Lynchburg launched a potential game-winning jumper on the next shot that fell short, leading to overtime.

In OT, the Marlins held tough, scoring 11 points while holding the Hornets scoreless and escaped with a 73-62 victory.

Tre Ford led Virginia Wesleyan (20-3/12-2 ODAC) with 19 points. Astorga registered 16 points and 10 rebounds while Vaughn added 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Lynchburg (14-10/8-7 ODAC) host Randolph College on Saturday at 3 p.m. for Senior Day.