Rams Fall In Double-Overtime Thriller

MOBILE, Ala-- The University of Mobile men's basketball team saw its 3-game winning streak end at the hands of 5-1 Auburn-Montgomery in double-overtime, 90-88 Monday night.

Things started off well for Mobile, as the Rams built leads of 7-0 and 12-2 in the first half and never trailed in the opening period. Walter Fitzgerald poured in 13 points in the half and Mobile went to intermission with a 33-28 lead.

The second period of play was basically the opposite, after Nathan Thomas gave the Senators their first lead at the 16:30 mark (36-35), AUM maintained the lead the entire way... well almost.

From that point, the Senators went on a mini-run and took their largest lead of the contest, 51-43 at the 10:38 mark on a David Gallagher 3-pointer. Mobile kept chipping away and 10 second-half points from Derrell Moreaux helped the team cut the deficit to 66-64 with just 18 seconds remaining.

AUM's start Kip Small answered with a pair of free throws to give the Senators a 4-point lead, and Fitzgerald got an offensive rebound and put back with 7 seconds left to bring his team within 2. Things looking bleak, the Rams got the break they needed as Small was called for an offensive fall to give the Rams the ball right back.

With the clock ticking down, Mobile went for the win and Marcus Yeager let a 3-pointer fly from deep. The ball was short, but Steve Pellan grabbed the offensive board and put it back with just 2 seconds to spare to send the game to overtime at 68-68. That was Pellan's 10th rebound of the game, and it moved him into 9th place on the Rams' all-time list.

In the 1st overtime period, the Rams were down 77-75 with under 10 seconds to play, but a Donte Walker drive to the basket set up Fitzgerald for an offensive board and put back to extend play 5 more minutes.

In that 2nd overtime, it was the Kip Small show. Small scored all of his team's 13 points in the frame as the Senators walked away with the 2-point victory.

Small led all scorers with 36 points, while Fitzgerald led the Rams with 35. Steve Pellan added a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Moreaux finished with 10 points for the Rams.