Box Score Box Score
CONWAY, Ark. – Brandon Fortenberry scored a team-high 17 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:54 remaining in overtime and Southeastern Louisiana earned a hard-fought 65-60 overtime win against Central Arkansas in a Southland Conference game Saturday at the Farris Center.
Fortenberry, who finished 6-for-9 from the floor and 3-for-5 from behind the 3-point line, scored 11 points in the second half as Southeastern (16-11, 8-6 SLC) clinched its sixth winning season in the past seven years.
Trent Hutchin added 11 points for the Lions while seniors
Patrick Sullivan and
Robert Tibbs added nine points and grabbed 10 rebounds each.
Fortenberry made one of two free throws with 10.6 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game at 53-53 before the Lions got a chance to win after a turnover by UCA (8-20, 2-12 SLC) on the ensuing inbounds pass.
Rodney Jones was called for traveling with 3.7 seconds remaining and the Lions went to overtime after Dewan Clayborn's 3-pointer missed at the buzzer.
Sullivan scored five points in the extra period, including a three-point play that gave Southeastern a 61-55 lead with 1:27 left.
Gary Dixon sealed the win for Southeastern with three free throws in the final minute.
Southeastern led, 25-24, at halftime despite shooting 8-for-27 (29.6 percent) in the first half. The Lions, the top field goal defensive squad in the Southland Conference, held UCA to 6-for-22 (27.3 percent) in the first half and 19-for-58 (32.8 percent).
UCA, which was led by Mitch Rueter with 18 points, led 34-27 after a 3-pointer by Clayborn with 16:27 left before the Lions chipped away at the lead. A 3-pointer by Dixon with 9:08 remaining gave Southeastern a 44-42 lead.
Fortenberry gave the Lions a 52-49 lead with 2:58 left when he made one of two free throws, but the Bears rallied as Rueter hit a jumper and later added two free throws for a 53-52 lead with 54.9 seconds left.
Jared Rehmel added 12 points for UCA while Clayborn added 10. Carlos Dos Santos added eight points and 10 rebounds for the Bears.
Southeastern will return to action on Wednesday when it faces McNeese State in a 7:30 p.m. contest at the University Center.
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA (16-11, 8-6)
Fortenberry 6-9 2-6 17; Hutchin 4-7 0-0 11; Sullivan 3-10 3-5 9; Tibbs 2-5 5-7 9; Dixon 1-3 4-5 7; Johnson 2-4 1-4 5; Patterson 1-5 1-2 3; Marks 0-2 2-2 2; Jones 1-6 0-0 2; Ndoumba 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 20-55 18-31 65.
CENTRAL ARKANSAS (8-20, 2-12)
Rueter 5-11 5-6 18; Rehmel 5-12 0-1 12; Clayborn 3-9 2-2 10; Dos Santos 3-7 2-2 8; Qahwash 2-5 4-6 8; Poellnitz 1-9 1-2 4; Sheppard 0-4 0-0 0; Smith 0-0 0-0 0; Henson 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 19-58 14-19 60.
Halftime – SLU 25, UCA 24. End of regulation – SLU 53, UCA 53. 3-point goals – SLU 7-16 (Hutchin 3-5; Fortenberry 3-5; Dixon 1-2; Patterson 0-1; Marks 0-1; Jones 0-2), UCA 8-27 (Rueter 3-6; Rehmel 2-8; Clayborn 2-7; Poellnitz 1-5; Sheppard 0-1). Fouled Out - Sheppard, Clayborn. Rebounds – SLU 38 (Sullivan, Tibbs 10), UCA 44 (Dos Santos 10). Assists – SLU 9 (Patterson, Fortenberry 3), UCA 6 (Clayborn, Rehmel 2). Total fouls – SLU 18, UCA 27. Technical fouls - None. A – 1,577.
