Millersville, Pa. - Conrad Chambers scored a career-high 29 points, and Millersville rallied from a nine-point second half deficit to top Notre Dame College 107-99 in double overtime Friday in the Joe Retton Classic season opener.
 
Chambers hit 13 of 14 free throws and added a team-leading six assists. He led five Marauders in double-figures. Freshman Caden Najdawi delivered a double-double of 18 points, 10 rebounds and four steals in his 43-minute debut. He scored six points and grabbed six boards in the two bonus periods. Newcomer Mark Perry scored 20 points on 9 of 13 shooting and led a havoc-creating defense with five steals. Jordan Greene went scoreless during regulation but delivered 10 points on 4 of 5 shooting in overtime.
 
While Millersville scored its most points since totaling 108 in the 2011 triple OT classic against Bloomsburg, it was its opportunistic defense that was the difference against Notre Dame. The Marauders generated 22 steals--the most by the program in the "Statcrew Era" which dates to 1999—and turned them into 43 points off of turnovers.
 
All nine players who played recorded at least one steal. Five of the steals came in overtime. A Jamal Washington steal with 29 seconds left in the first overtime led to his game-tying free throw, which sent the game into double OT. The Marauders recorded three steals in the final two minutes of the final overtime, helping them turn a 95-95 tie into a 105-96 lead with a 10-1 run.
 
The edge in experience certainly went to Notre Dame College which returned four starters from its Mountain East Conference Tournament-qualifying team. That group was headlined by preseason All-America selection Will Vorhees, who totaled 15 points Friday. But only three players on Millersville's entire roster were on the team a season ago. Of those players, Greene gave the Marauders their first six points in double overtime, and Chambers, who did most of the heavy lifting in regulation, knocked down two free throws with 21 seconds remaining to put the game well out of reach. But the newcomers shined in crunch time as well.
 
Millersville trailed 81-79 with 11 seconds remaining in regulation, but the Marauders forced a miss from Levin Frankland. Mark Perry grabbed the rebound and was immediately fouled. He sank two foul shots to tie the game with nine seconds left, sending the game into overtime.
 
Perry fouled out with 2:21 left in the first overtime, and Washington came off the bench for the first time in the game and made a difference right away. With the Marauders trailing by one and Notre Dame running out the clock, Washington swiped the All-American Vorhees and was fouled with 29 seconds remaining. His foul shot tied the game at 90, effectively forcing the second OT.
 
The win was Millersville's first in a season opener since 2011, the first opener to reach overtime since 1999, and the most points scored in an opener since 1992 (110).
 
Millersville shot 26 of 34 from the foul line and hit 12 of 14 in overtime. Kyuta Taylor led Notre Dame with 37 points and 11 rebounds in 47 minutes.
 
The Marauders are back in action Saturday, this time taking on the 2017 NCAA Division II runner-up, Fairmont State. Tip is set for 7 p.m.