Utah Valley Wolverines edge NJIT in double overtime

NEWARK, N.J. — Ben Aird scored a career-high 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while teammate Isiah Williams added 24 more in leading Utah Valley to a 99-97 double-overtime victory over NJIT Thursday night.

With their ninth win in a row, the Wolverines improve to 16-10 overall and 6-0 in Great West Conference play, while the Highlanders fall to 10-13 overall and 3-3 in league play.

Also, the win was No. 350 in the career of UVU head coach Dick Hunsaker.

When the dust settles Thursday night, the Wolverines will have no less than a two-game lead with four games remaining. UVU will meet Chicago State at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Windy City.

Thursday, the lead changed hands 16 times and was tied nine times before Utah Valley held on for the two-point victory.

In all, five Wolverines scored in double figures: Geddes Robinson, who hails from Bronx, N.Y., scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Holton Hunsaker, who was scoreless at the half, finished with 14 and Keith Thompson added 11.

"It was a game that wasn't played perfect by us," Dick Hunsaker said. "There were plays made by both teams with big, crucial shots. I thought we have the game at the end of overtime, but we had a couple of errors that extended the game."

Utah Valley trailed by as many as eight points with 13:30 left before making its comeback.

Trailing by five with 10:50 left, the Wolverines knocked down five straight three-pointers — including three straight by Holton Hunsaker — to take the lead at 67-66 with 6:27 left.

In the final six minutes, the game was tied or the lead changed hands 11 times.

The Highlanders had the chance to win the game at the end of regulation, but Chris Flores hit 1-of-2 free throws with 3.8 seconds left to send the game into OT tied at 79.

Utah Valley led by four points with less than a minute to go, but the Highlanders answered with four straight, including a steal and lay-up with 18 seconds left to tie the score at 90.

Two minutes into the final OT, the Wolverines led by four before the Highlanders cut the lead to one with a 3-pointer with 1:08 to go.

Robinson hit 1-of-2 foul shots and the Wolverines held on the win.