The visiting Pioneers got the ball back with a chance to win, but turned it over with 4 seconds remaining. Nordlund got one final shot off, but it fell short and the game went to overtime.
When the extra period began, the clock showed 4:00 to play. Coach David Arseneault and the Grinnell timekeeper repeatedly questioned the officials, who insisted overtime was only 4:00 long, not 5:00. So the period that was to be 5:00, as all overtimes in college games are, was shy by 60 seconds.
Carroll’s Ben Hickethier hit a three to open the scoring, but Grinnell responded by getting Steve Wood ’04 the ball and letting him go to work. His aggressiveness got him to the freethrow line, where he brought Grinnell back to within one. The Pioneers followed up on a Carroll turnover by getting two offensive rebounds and then a made three by Trek Langenhan ’07. Grinnell was suddenly up by two with 3:15 to go.
A Hickethier field goal tied it briefly as Grinnell responded with a Nick Malinowski ’04 three ball. Advantage Grinnell: 132-129 with 2:46 remaining. Wood followed up by making one of two freethrows. Another defensive rebound led to Steve Nordlund ’04 knocking down two freethrows, giving the home team a five-point lead. A Carroll turnover led to a Patrick Choquette ’04 field goal, putting the game at 136-129 with 2:00 to play. Carroll cut it to five on a Greg Monfre score, but could get no closer. Wood cemented the win with two more made freethrows.
Grinnell, 15-2, 8-2 Midwest Conference, moved into second place in the leauge behind Lawrence, who lost at Monmouth in overtime Saturday. The Pioneers return to action in Darby this Tuesday with an early tip-off, 5:00, against Knox, who is 7-10, 2-9 in the MWC.
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