Tornado edge Valkyries in overtime thriller

Box Score BRISTOL, Tenn. – Seth Cullen hit the game-tying shot with three seconds left Tuesday night to help the King University men's basketball team to an 82-77 overtime win over Converse University. MIkhail Pocknett posted his seventh double-double of the season, with Jordan Akal posting one as well.

THE BASICS
FINAL: King 82, Converse 77 (OT)
LOCATION: Student Center Complex; Bristol, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 9-14, 5-9 Conference Carolinas; Converse 16-8, 8-6 Conference Carolinas

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half

Akal scored the first five points of the game for the Tornado, with Cullen hitting a three to tie the score at eight with 16:30 to play.
Cullen would hit another three four minutes later to put King in the lead 13-10, later making a driving layup to stretch the lead to 15-12 with 9:59 to play.
After the Valkyries re-took the lead, King was able to stay within six points,
King would score six points in the final minute, with buckets coming from Cullen, Eli Elston and Pocknett, with Pocknett's coming with four seconds left to make the score 35-32 entering halftime.

Second Half

The Valkyries scored six of the first eight points of the half, taking a 41-34 lead under two minutes in.
After Pocknett scored four points within 30 seconds, Elston made a driving layup to bring the Tornado to within 41-40 with 15:44 left to play.
Cam George and Almando Cyrius would hit consecutive three-point shots to close the Converse lead to 58-57 with 6:28 remaining.
Converse then went on an 8-2 run, taking a 66-59 lead into the final three minutes.
Cullen hit a layup with 1:21 left, bringing King to within 69-65, with the lead eventually reaching 71-68 after Akal hit a three with 11 seconds left.
After an errant inbounds pass gave King the ball back, Cullen hit the game-tying three, sending the Tornado into overtime for just the second time this season.

Overtime

King scored the first four points, taking a lead they would hang onto for the balance of the game.
Converse got to within two with 1:40 left to play, but a free throw from Pocknett, along with a pair from Akal with 30 seconds left gave King a cushion, one they would use to pull out an 82-77 win.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

It was the seventh double-double of the season for Pocknett, who also had a blocked shot.
He wasn't the only Tornado to have a double-double, as Akal finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds. This is the third time this season that King has recorded multiple double-doubles, something that hasn't happened since becoming in King's NCAA era.

FOR THE FOES

C.J. Jamison finished with 29 points to lead all scorers, adding six rebounds and three steals as well.
Uzziah Dawkins finished with 18 points and a team-best seven rebounds, with Ben Jones scoring 10 points on the night.

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