Sullivan Sinks Free Throw to Lift Southeastern Louisiana in OT
By Brandon C. Williams
Southland.org
KATY, Texas - Patrick Sullivan felt like the world was on his shoulders as he prepared to shoot the second of two free throws with 2.3 seconds left in overtime Wednesday night. Having missed the first, the 6-9 senior center knew that a second miss would either lead to a second extra session or a possible final shot for Texas State.
With those thoughts in mind, Sullivan hit the second free throw, giving fourth-seed Southeastern Louisiana a 79-78 at Merrell Center, extending their season with a Thursday night date against top-seed Sam Houston State.
"I knew what was at stake," said Sullivan. "I knew there was no tomorrow if I didn't hit it. They called a time out, which gave me time to think, but I remained positive. After I missed the first one, I knew the second one had to go in."
The free throw was the icing on a stirring comeback by the Lions (19-11), who trailed 41-24 at halftime.
Texas State (15-16), which had come in with a three-game win streak, had a chance to win the game, but Cameron Johnson's 15-footer glanced off the rim as the horn sounded.
"If I had the answers to what happened, we would be sitting here now," said Bobcats guard Ryan White, who had 17 points.
Overtime didn't appear to be in the thought process for the Bobcats, who raced out to a 26-10 lead in the first 10 minutes of the contest. Playing off the crowd, coach Doug Davalos' offense clicked to near-perfection at times, especially at the 3-point arc, where Texas State hit seven of its first nine from beyond the arc.
When John Rybak hit an off-balance trey from the right corner as the first half horn sounded, the Bobcats looked like a team primed for a shot against a Sam Houston State team they had defeated last weekend.
Instead of panicking, Southeastern Louisiana coach Jim Yarbrough kept his team focused, reminding them that the 41-24 deficit could be erased.
"We had to remain calm," he said. "We just had to show them a path to get there."
The Lions' journey began early in the second half as Trent Hutchin and Gary Dixon combined for three long-range strikes to cut the lead down to 45-39 at the 15:21 mark.
"I knew at the five-minute mark these guys would settle down," said Yarbrough.
Turnovers helped accelerate Texas State's struggles, as the Bobcats committed 21 turnovers. After holding the Lions to just 33 percent from the field in the first half, they allowed Southeastern Louisiana to shoot at a 59 percent clip in the second.
"I was very disappointed in how we approached defense in the first five minutes of the second half," said Davalos. "Our inability to hold on to the ball also cost us. When you commit 21 turnovers, you're going to have a hard time winning."
The Lions took their first lead since 19:41 of the first half when Dixon hit a layup to give them a 61-60 lead with 5:56 left in regulation. The two teams stayed within three points of each other before Johnson's (23 points) jumper gave the Bobcats a 72-69 lead with a minute left. Texas State had just 16 seconds to savor the margin before Hutchin knocked down his fifth trey of the contest to tie the game.
Following a turnover, Southeastern Louisiana had a chance to win, but Sullivan's driving layup bounced off the backboard as time expired in regulation.
The Lions were also fueled by a bench that outscored Texas State 29-16, as Dixon (17 points) and Jason Marks (10 points, 14 rebounds) led the way.
"It's either magic or it's misery," said Yarbrough. "I think there's a little magic left in us."