Box Score ST. LOUIS – [BOX SCORE] Xavielle Brown scored a game-high 28 points to help Park squeak past Missouri Baptist 93-87 in overtime Thursday afternoon at Lacey Gymnasium.
Brown hit a 3-pointer with 12 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 81-81 and send it to overtime. Stephen Buckner nearly gave the Spartans (8-5, 3-2) a last-second win, but his layup fell off the rim. Park's (7-4, 5-1) three-point shot as time expired fell short.
John Caraballo scored the first bucket of the overtime to give Missouri Baptist an 83-81 lead. However, Mylin Jordan tied the game on the next possession and the Spartans never led again. Brown hit another 3-pointer to give the Pirates an 86-83 advantage. He scored his 28 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field, including four 3-pointers.
Park hit its free throws and the Spartans didn't make enough plays in overtime to come away with the victory.
The Spartans were led offensively on the night by Will Harrington, who scored a team-high 18 points. Caraballo, Buckner, Chris Buzzell and Jared White joined the junior in double-figures. White scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds in his season debut and Caraballo notched a double-double after also grabbing 12 rebounds.
Park controlled a majority of the opening half, leading by 10, 29-19 nearly 12 minutes in. Missouri Baptist didn't cave in and cut the deficit to three by halftime. A 3-pointer from Pablo Hernandez cut the deficit to 38-35 with 3:01 remaining in the half. White kept it that way after he put-back a miss from David Gabrovsek at the buzzer.
The second half was a back-and-forth affair featuring eight lead changes and 11 ties. Buzzell gave the Spartans their first lead of the game after hitting a 3-pointer with 16:34 left. Harrington followed suit with a 3-pointer of his own to extend the lead to 49-44 seconds later.
Led by Brown and Derrick Williams, who had 24 points, the Pirates wouldn't go away and had an answer for every Missouri Baptist bucket. Neither team led by more than four points the rest of the way, as both teams traded buckets.
Harrington hit two free throws with 46 seconds left to give Missouri Baptist an 80-78 advantage. After a defensive stop, Buzzell made one of two free throws with 19 seconds left, but that lead faded away after Brown's 3-pointer to send the game to overtime.
The Spartans return to action on Saturday, Jan. 2nd against Columbia College. Tip is set for 4:00 pm.
