Not many people care much about Division III Men's Basketball.
↵That changed on Tuesday night, though, when in seven overtimes Skidmore defeated Southern Vermont, 128-123, breaking the record for the longest game in Division III -- previously five overtimes -- and tied the longest game in NCAA Men's Basketball history -- set in 1981 by Bradley and Cincinnati. Yes, seven overtimes!
↵↵↵"Words are hard to describe what I just witnessed," said Skidmore head coach Joe Burke to skidmoreathletics.com. "It was completely a battle of wills and both teams refused to give in. We won the game but really their are no losers in a game like that. Both teams played till complete exhaustion."
↵
John Mantas (Niskayuna, N.Y.) had a team-high 27 points for the Thoroughbreds, who scored 16 points in the final OT to win.
↵Mountaineers' guard Taeshon Johnson netted a game-high 39 points and played ALL 75 minutes.
↵↵↵"It's difficult to reconcile your emotions when you have just participated in such an epic event and lost," Southern Vermont head coach Mike McDonough said to svcathletics.com. "But to a man, both teams will take away something from tonight that they will never forget."
↵
At the end of regulation the game was tied 59-59. Skidmore's Melvis Langyintuo (The Lawrenceville School, N.J.) sent the game into the second OT by sinking a free throw with one second remaining in the first OT. In the sixth overtime, Skidmore's Eli Johnston (Brooklyn, N.Y.) sank a 3-pointer, his only basket of the game, with 10 seconds left to help send the game into a seventh OT.
↵
Only 142 people were in attendance.