Box Score Millersville, Pa. - Millersville's
Larry Grant and Kutztown's Micah Fraction staged quite a duel Saturday in Pucillo Gymnasium. Fraction totaled 28 including clutch shots at the end of regulation and in overtime, but Grant's 30 propelled the Marauders to a 74-68 double overtime victory.
Millersville (13-6, 9-4 PSAC) slogged through a poor shooting night and struggled mightily against Kutztown's (3-16, 2-11 PSAC) zone until Grant, who totaled just four points through the first 28 minutes, absolutely took over the game. He scored 26 points of his team's final 47 points in just 22 minutes.
Grant's 30-point effort was his third of the 2012-13 season. He sank 9-of-21 shots from the field and 9-of-11 from the line, including 7-of-8 in the two overtimes.
Elijah Obade, the Division II leader in rebounding, grabbed 17 boards and added 10 points for his ninth double-double of the season. Six of Obade's rebounds came on the offensive glass, and four were essential in helping the Marauders chew time off the clock in the final seconds of regulation and in the second OT.
Fraction, averaging 26.8 points over his previous five games, entered the game as the hottest scorer in the PSAC, and he certainly put a scare into the Marauders. With his team trailing 53-50 at the end of regulation, he sank a 3-pointer with four seconds left to send the game to overtime. He kept the Golden Bears alive in the first OT session by helping to erase a five-point deficit and drilling the game-tying triple with 1:03 left in the period.
Fraction made the first hoop of the second overtime, but it was Grant who dominated the final 2:38. He hit a 3-pointer to put the Marauders on top, 65-64. With 30 seconds left, Grant tracked down an offensive rebound and was fouled. He made one of two, but Obade kept the Marauder possession alive by tipping the ball to
Anthony Coleman, who found Grant. Grant was fouled, and this time he sank both to put the Marauders in front, 68-64.
Kutztown quickly pushed across midcourt, but Ryan Connelly's driving layup attempt was swatted away by Obade. Coleman was fouled, and Fraction was whistled for a technical foul with 16 seconds left, giving Millersville four foul shots. Grant made two and Coleman hit one to put the lead at seven and well out of reach of the Golden Bears.
One game after scoring only 13 first-half points at East Stroudsburg, the Marauders had trouble getting started again Saturday. They managed just two field goals in the first 10:25 and trailed 15-4 at the 12-minute media timeout. The Marauders managed to completely erase the deficit and tie the game at 27 on
Brandon Brown's long jumper that just beat the first half buzzer.
Kutztown remained in control of the game, however, and led 50-44 with under four minutes left in regulation. Grant attacked and scored for two and then hit a three in a two minute stretch. On the next Kutztown possession, Fraction missed a three, Obade rebounded the miss and kicked it to Grant, who raced the ball ahead and fed Coleman for a fastbreak layup. That bucket gave Millersville its first lead of the game at 51-50. Coleman made two foul shots with 18 seconds left before Fraction's heroics began.
Millersville shot 26-of-72 and attempted a season-high 34 3-pointers, making only six. The defense generated 28 points off of 26 Kutztown turnovers, though. Brown added 13 points and Coleman scored 10 for the Marauders.
Saturday's game was the 200th meeting between Millersville and Kutztown with the Marauders improving to 128-72 all-time in the series. The Marauders are now 2-0 in overtime this season. The game was the first multi-overtime game played by the Marauders since going to three overtimes with Bloomsburg on Feb. 5, 2011.
The Marauders travel to Shippensburg for Wednesday for an 8 p.m. tip.