Vikings lose OT heartbreaker at Carroll despite 40 points by Nikitas

WAUKESHA, Wis. — The Carroll University men’s basketball team rallied from a five-point deficit in the final 20 seconds of regulation Tuesday and then defeated Lawrence University 84-83 in overtime in a Midwest Conference game at Van Male Field House.

Jamie Nikitas had a monster night for Lawrence as he posted the eighth-best game point total in school history. Nikitas scored a career-high 40 points as he hit 12-of-22 shots from the floor and went 14-for-16 from the foul line. Nikitas also pulled down a game-high eight rebounds to go along with two assists and two steals.

Connor Weas added a career-high 12 points for the Vikings (5-8, 2-6 MWC), and Ben Peterson and Mitch Willer had 10 points apiece before both players fouled out.

Kyle Keranen and Marcus Johnson scored 22 points apiece to pace Carroll (12-1, 8-0).

Weas and Nikitas both hit a pair of foul shots, sandwiched around a Keranen layup, to give Lawrence a 72-67 lead with 21 seconds left in regulation.

After Keranen’s layup was blocked out of bounds, Keranen hit a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to cut the lead to 72-70. Nikitas was then bumped out of bounds and the Pioneers got the ball back. Johnson got free inside and his layup tied the game at 72-72. Lawrence’s Jeremy Stephani missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have won it.

Carroll raced to a 78-72 lead in the first 1:20 of the overtime, but Lawrence stormed back. Nikitas scored the next seven points for the Vikings as Lawrence trimmed the margin to 80-79 with 1:47 left.

A three-point play by Carroll’s Tanner Zaeske pushed the lead to 83-79, and Nikitas countered with a driving layup to cut the margin to 83-81. After Keranen made one free throw, Nikitas was fouled and hit two foul shots to trim the lead to 84-83.

Carroll’s Troy Howat was fouled and missed both free throws, but a desperation 3-pointer missed at the buzzer to give Carroll the victory.

Carroll led by as many as seven points in the first half, but Lawrence went on a 10-0 run, capped by Stephani’s 3-pointer, over the final 4:07 of the first half to lead 37-30 at the break.

Lawrence pushed the lead to 12 to start the second half as Stephani hit another 3-pointer and Nikitas followed with a layup to make it 42-30. Carroll came back to tie the game at 45-45, but the Pioneers didn’t take the lead until the overtime.

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