OWENSBORO, Ky. - Trailing Benedict by 16, 56-40, with just under three and a half minutes to play, the Truman men's basketball team did the unthinkable. The Bulldogs proceeded to score 15 points in a row as part of a 19-3 run to end the second half that tied the game up at 59-59 before winning the game in overtime, 79-71.

Friday marked the Bulldogs' (9-2) first overtime game of the year and just their sixth since the beginning of the 2008-09 season (4-2 record). Truman won by eight, which is as big a margin as its last three overtime wins, combined (109-105, 71-68 and 87-86). The Purple and White haven't won an overtime game by more than five points since they defeated Central Methodist by six, 84-78, during the 1987-88 campaign. In fact, you have to go back to the 1981-82 season to find the last time the Bulldogs beat someone by at least eight points in overtime when they defeated Lincoln 78-70. The victory also gave head coach, Chris Foster, 50 for his career and he is now 50-21 (.704 winning percentage) overall.

Meanwhile, the Tigers played with heavy hearts in their first game since the passing of junior, Rashee Hodges. Their two-game winning streak was snapped and they now sit at 2-4 overall. Three Benedict players reached double-figures including Quayshaun Hawkins (17 points), Mike Udume (13) and Justice Morgan (10).

Individually, Cory Myers (pictured) turned in the third double-double of his career and first since Jan. 9 of last year as he had 22 points and 12 rebounds (career high) to go with four assists and one steal. The redshirt senior scored 15 of his season high 22 points in a span of six minutes and 34 seconds starting at the end of the second half and into the extra period. With that being said, the story of overtime should be about Jake Velky, who finished with 14 points, nine of which came in those extra five minutes. At the end of regulation, Velky had just five points to his name on 1-of-9 shooting before going off when it mattered most. Those two combined to score 16 of Truman's 20 overtime points.

Not to be overlooked, Nathan Messer had 13 points and was the third Truman player with at least 10, while Connor Erickson swatted two shots and four different Bulldogs registered a steal. Zach Fischer, who started the overtime, provided some clutch minutes off the bench with seven points and four rebounds.

As a team, Truman shot just 37.9 percent (25-of-66) from the floor including 31 percent (9-for-29) from behind the arc as well as 83.3 percent (20-of-24) from the free throw line. During the extra time, however, the Bulldogs made three of their four field goal attempts, both chances from three-point land and all 12 of their looks at the charity stripe. In the team head-to-head, Truman held the advantage in second-chance points (16-3), points in the paint (24-18) and rebounds (51-37) while Benedict led in points off turnovers (13-12) and bench points (44-18).

In the first half after a pair of ties at 4-4 and 6-6, Benedict used a 16-3 run to go up by 13, 22-9, with 7:25 to play until halftime. The Bulldogs countered, though, by scoring 15 of the next 22 points to pull within five, 29-24. That's where the margin would stay as the Tigers headed into the locker room up 32-27. At that point, Benedict was shooting over 48 percent from field goal range to only 34.4 percent from Truman. Just under seven minutes out of the intermission, the deficit had been slimmed to two, 36-34. However, the Tigers came back to life with a 20-6 spurt that put them up 16, 56-40, before the Bulldogs magical run in the final four minutes and change.

Next up, the Bulldogs will stay in Owensboro and play Kentucky Wesleyan at 5 p.m. on Saturday in the championship. The Panthers beat Southern Wesleyan 112-55 after Truman's game on Friday night.

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