Roadrunners Knock off No. 7 Panola in OT

By GARY STALLARD

AC Athletics

(Photo by Clara Sonet for AC Athletics)

The game would feature the 7^th-ranked Panola College Ponies against the Angelina College Roadrunners – recently ranked the No. 1 defensive team in all of the NJCAA's Division I men's basketball.

Of course it would be a tight game. Of course it would come down to clutch plays in the final seconds. Of course it would need overtime to decide.

AC's Chris Carpenter hit a running left hander with six seconds to play in regulation to send the game to overtime, and teammate Jordan Mathews would drop in a jumper with 16 second to play to lift the Roadrunners to a 67-65 OT win Wednesday at Shands Gymnasium.

Both teams entered the contest with 4-1 records in conference play as part of a three-way tie for first place.

With the clock winding down late in the second half, Carpenter blew past a Pony defender for a left-handed scoop and score to knot the score at 59-59 with just six seconds to play. The Ponies' last gasp ended up short, with AC's Daemon Ely getting his fingertips on the potential game-winning shot to send the game to an extra frame.

In OT, the Roadrunners again worked a final possession to near perfection, with Mathews taking a pass on the block and hitting a short jumper for the game's final score.

Mathews would finish with 18 points to lead all scorers. Ely finished with 13 points and eight rebounds, and Carpenter and Kanaan Holder chipped in 11 points each.

Panola's Khoi Thurman led the Ponies with 14 points.

The Roadrunners (12-2, 5-1) will travel to Tyler on Saturday to take on the Tyler Junior College Apaches. Game time is set for 4 p.m.

The email address for AC's Sports Information Director is gstallard@angelina.edu.