By Zach DeMarcus
January 25, 2018
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) Stellar double-double performances from Zac Jervis and Olisa Nwachie proved to be the difference tonight as #20 Westmont Men's Basketball (15-4, 5-1 GSAC) took down #7 Hope International (19-2, 5-1 GSAC) 88-84 in double-overtime. Jervis finished with 29 points and 12 rebounds. Nwachie had 24 points and 13 rebounds.
 
"I thought our two post guys were outstanding. Zac had 29 points, a career-high, and 12 rebounds, five of those were offensive. Olisa had 13 rebounds, six of them were offensive," said Westmont head coach John Moore. "Those are 11 extra possessions that we come away with because of their hard work."
 
The Warriors took an early 12-6 lead to start the game. Jervis' two layups and two free throws made him responsible for six of those points. He continued to play strong at the rim all game.
 
Hope would come back and eventually head into halftime with the lead – bringing the score to 36-42 in favor of the Royals. If the rest of the game was anything like the first half this game was going to be a battle and a battle it was.
 
Hope came out of halftime hot and extended their six-point lead to a 13-point lead with 16:53 remaining. This brought the score to 38-51. Westmont slowly chipped away throughout the half. After both teams exchanged blows for four minutes, Nwachie converted on a layup and brought the Warriors within four points (54-58).
 
Moore said, "For us to be able to play through a 13-point deficit in the second half and to chip away and finally take a lead was huge." Westmont would take the lead 71-70 on an and-one layup by Jervis with 1:50 remaining in the second half.
 
Jervis said, "The coaches told me to play with effort from the beginning. They said to come out and play the hardest you can – that's what I did."
 
Hope's Andrew Bournes hit a 3-pointer to put the Royals up 71-73. Jervis then converted on another layup to knot the game at 73-73. Jerry Karczewksi went to the line to shoot two with 12 seconds remaining. He would miss both. Hope would come down the court and Charles Trotter missed the potential game-winning jumper as regulation expired.
 
Hope jumped out to a five-point lead to start the first overtime period off a jump shot, layup, and a free throw. Kyle Scalmanini made a free throw and Nwachie converted on a layup to cut the deficit to two points. Bournes made a layup to extend Hope's lead to four. Westmont responded with two made free throws from Jervis and a layup by Nwachie to tie the game at 80.
 
After a missed 3-point attempt by Sean Harman, it quickly turned to a four-on-one fast break for Hope. It looked as if the Royals would finish the game with a dunk and run off the court victorious. However, Nwachie came sprinting from the back end of the court and didn't give up on the play. As Charles Trotter went to lay the ball in, Nwachie leaped and swatted the ball to the back wall of the gymnasium with one tenth of a second remaining in the game – saving the night for the Warriors and sending the game to double-overtime.
 
"I think we saw one of the greatest plays that has ever been made in Murchison Gym when Olisa went and blocked that shot with one tenth of a second left," recalled Moore. "The game ends in a dunk if Olisa Nwachie is not out there for us. I thought his composure out there at the end of the game was crucial for us."
 
There was no score in the second-overtime for just under two and a half minutes. Nwachie hit a layup to put the Warriors up 82-80. Kenny Barnes tied the game for Hope with a layup. Nwachie then went to the line after being fouled. He hit the first free throw and missed the second. Scalmanini got fouled and went one for one from the line putting Westmont up 84-82.
 
Bournes finished a layup that tied the game at 84. Jervis came down and converted a layup to put Westmont up by two with 58 seconds remaining. Hope missed a three and Jervis came down with the rebound. Hope fouled Jervis and sent him to the line. He hit the first free throw bringing the score to 87-84 – he would miss the second. On his miss, Scalmanini darted off the line and snagged an enormous offensive rebound with seven seconds left. He was immediately fouled.
 
He would hit his second free throw and put the game away at 88-84. "The biggest offensive rebound was the last one by Kyle Scalmanini. He made the most important free throw that he's had in his career to help us win the game," said Moore.
 
The win snaps Hope's 17-game winning streak and moves Westmont into a tie for second place with Hope in the Golden State Athletic Conference standings. Moore added, "That was a great team. That may be the best Hope team we have ever played – the most talented at least. Bill Check is a great coach.
 
"I said to the guys this is like Cinderella going home. When midnight hits, all we're thinking about is whatever's next. It's up to us to be even keeled and play against a very good Vanguard team here at home after an epic game," finished Moore.
 
Westmont hosts Vanguard this Saturday with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m.