MILLERSVILLE, Pa .- Ryan Meis' steal and fastbreak lay-up with 10 seconds remaining determined the result of 50 minutes of basketball as Seton Hill edged Millersville 92-90 in double overtime Friday evening. 

Millersville rallied from nine points down in regulation to force overtime and then erased an eight-point deficit in the final 80 seconds of the first overtime, getting two Saraj Ali free throws with one-tenth of a second left on the clock to extend the game and extra five minutes. With 59 seconds remaining in the second OT, Jahme Ested sank two free throws to tie the score at 90, and Ali blocked a desperation 3-pointer attempt at the end of Seton Hill's shot clock, giving Millersville 40 seconds to break the tie. 

Seton Hill's zone frustrated the Marauders all game, and Millersville coach Casey Stitzel elected to let the Marauders play rather than call timeout and allow Seton Hill to set up its defense. Millersville, however, could not find an opening in the zone. Ested tried to split the perimeter defenders on a drive to the basket but the ball was poked away toward the Seton Hill basket. Meis scooped the loose ball and finished an uncontested lay-up. The Marauders quickly pushed the ball ahead, finding Dante Weise for a corner 3-pointer. Brian Belade deflected the shot out of bounds, leaving Millersville two-tenths of a second for a tip-in. The in-bounds lob went to Drew Stover, whose rushed attempt was also blocked. 

"It's how the season has gone," said Stitzel. "We get a stop, and instead of a missed shot and triple overtime, it's a touchdown turnover. That's defined the season so far. When it's a two-point game with 12 seconds left you hope that someone comes down and makes a play."

Millersville led 68-60 with 3:32 left in regulation, but Gage Lattimore sank a three and then capped an 11-3 run at the buzzer with a driving right-handed lay-up that tied the game at 71-71. Millersville attempted just one field goal in that stretch and committed four turnovers. 

After starting 3-0, Millersville has dropped four of the last six with two losses in overtime and all four by single digits. It's a stretch defined by bad bounces, near-misses and close calls. The Marauders played 11 second-half minutes without Stover, their leading scorer, who picked up his fourth foul fewer than two minutes into the half. Ali also missed a long stretch in the second half with an ankle injury but returned hobbling for both overtimes and finishing with more than 40 minutes played. Aiden Gair, who brought the Marauders back from nine down with 12 points on four threes in a 13-2 run, fouled out one minute into the first overtime. Without him in the lineup, the Marauders went 0 of 8 from three in the two overtimes. 

"There were four or five threes from the end of the second half through overtime that spun right out, and there's went in," said Stitzel. "That happens sometimes. You have to be ready to fight and deal with adversity. I have no doubt we will be ready tomorrow...This is the first time this group has dealt with a funk. When you don't have experience together, they aren't on the same page and it's hard to get out of it. Tomorrow will be defining."

Even while slowed by an injury, Ali nearly produced a triple-double, finishing with 22 points, a season-high 12 rebounds and a career-high eight assists. His passing and scoring out of the high post keyed Millersville's second-half run as he scored eight and had six assists after halftime. 

"I thought he was a warrior tonight with a double-double," said Stitzel. "He had a bad wheel. He led us and did a great job on both ends of the court. His upside is so high. He's a great kid and very coachable. His best basketball is ahead of him."

Ested scored a career-high 22 points, grabbed a season-high eight boards and made a career-high five steals in 45 minutes. It was his first game back in the lineup after missing four of the previous five games. 

Millersville faces a tough test Saturday as Pitt-Johnstown brings a 3-0 PSAC record into Pucillo Gymnasium for a 3 p.m. tip. 

"I want to win every game," said Stitzel. "We have competitive guys, we have a competitive coaching staff, but at the end of the day, this is life-defining. Tomorrow we will find out a lot--double overtime, home loss, and you have to turn around and play at 3 o'clock. This is where athletics, coaching, and mentoring, can help you in life. There are a lot worse things in the world going on than losing in double overtime. It's hard to understand that perspective, but we need to use this tomorrow to go out, improve on the things we didn't do well, and prove that we can deal with adversity."