LAGRANGE, Ga. – Overtime magic took place in Georgia as East Texas Baptist University advanced to the LaGrange College Christmas Tournament Championship game with a 77-74 victory over Berry College (Ga.). ETBU is now 2-8 overall and will now take on host LaGrange College on Sunday for the championship.
 
Five players scored in double figures. Michael Roberts recorded a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Joshua R Davis led the team with 15 points, going 6-of-11 from the floor. JT Curry added 14 points, five assists, and six rebounds, while Joshua Joe scored 13 points and seven rebounds with six assists. Nikolas Morin added 13 points and five rebounds, hitting three three-pointers.
 
ETBU hit 49 percent of their shots from the floor, was 35 percent from the arc (7-of-20), and made 10-of-15 free throws (60 percent). Berry made 41 percent overall, 31 percent from the three-point line, and 81 percent from the line. ETBU outrebounded Berry 41-31 and had 30 points in the paint.
 
Headed into overtime after neither team could make a final shot in the final 10 seconds of regulation, ETBU scored the first six overtime points for a 71-65 lead. Davis hit a jumper two minutes in for the lead, 67-65. At 2:56, Davis stole the ball and followed through with a fast break layup, making it 69-65. JT Curry put the lead at six, 71-65, on a layup at 1:44. Berry came within three, twice, in the final minute. Up 73-70, Roberts canned a three-pointer with 17 seconds left for a six-point lead, 76-70. Berry followed with a three-pointer with 10 seconds left in the game, and then Roberts went one-of-two at the line for a four-point lead, 77-73. ETBU fouled with three seconds left and Berry made one free throw as ETBU held onto the win.
 
ETBU shot 51 percent in the first half to take a 37-35 lead at the half. Berry started with a 7-2 lead and took a 10-point lead, 18-8, at 12:31. With 10:36 left, Berry still maintained a 10-point lead, 23-13, but cut the lead to one, 26-25, on a 12-3 run by the 4:33 mark. At 2:04, Berry had a four-point lead, 35-31, but ETBU finished the half on a 6-0 run for a two-point lead. Morin cut the lead to two, then JT Curry tied the game at 35 with 1:20 left. Joe hit a jumper with under a minute to play, giving ETBU their first lead of the game.
 
Berry moved the lead to five in the first five minutes of the second half, 51-46, but Nathan Fleming converted an and-1 to tie the game at 53 at 8:31. Davis gave ETBU the lead back with 7:50 to play on a three-pointer. Both teams exchanged the lead the next six minutes as Berry took the 65-64 lead at 1:52. Joe was fouled at 1:38 and went one-of-two at the line to tie the game at 65. In the next minute and a half, the two teams combined for five missed shots and two turnovers as the game went into overtime.
 
ETBU will play at 3:00 p.m. central in the championship game against host LaGrange College.