LAKELAND, FL - The Lenoir-Rhyne men's basketball team found themselves on the wrong side of the scoreboard on Sunday, falling 66-65 in overtime to No. 13 Michigan Tech. This was the second straight overtime win for Michigan Tech as they beat No. 3 Dallas Baptist 75-70 in extra time yesterday. 

Down 29-24 at the break, the Bears shot 60% in the second half to send the game into overtime.

"We've learned a lot of lessons this week," said head coach Brent Owen. "One thing we've learned is that we are really close to being an elite level team. We also learned how much the little things matter, and when you get to this level of play every possession is important. I think we are just getting started and our potential this season is through the roof."

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: #13 Michigan Tech 66, #19 Lenoir-Rhyne 65
Records: Michigan Tech 2-0, Lenoir-Rhyne 0-2
Location: Lakeland, Fla. | Jenkins Field House

STORY OF THE GAME

• Lenoir-Rhyne started out hot as a Junior Hodnett three capped off a 14-7 start for the Bears.
• Michigan Tech turned things around and took a 22-21 lead with just under eight minutes remaining in the first half.
• Sam Martin hit Lenoir-Rhyne's final bucket of the half with five minutes remaining. 
• The Bears struggled to close the half, committing three turnovers and going 0-5 from the field to see themselves down 29-24 at the break.
• The Huskies looked to pull away early as a Marcus Tomashek bucket put them up 10 on the Bears four minutes in.
• A Hodnett three stopped the run and the Bears clawed back, eventually tying the game at 42 after a layup from Conrad Luczynski. 
• An Akili Evans fast break dunk and layup put the Bears up five with 4:18 remaining in the contest.
• Down 60-58, Lenoir-Rhyne took a one-point lead on and and-1 bucket from Luczynski. 
• Michigan Tech it a bucket and a free throw to send the game into overtime.
• Lenoir-Rhyne controlled overtime early, leading by two with 50 seconds remaining. 
• The Huskies grabbed two offense rebounds in the final 20 seconds and hit the game winning three with just 3.2 seconds remaining.
• Luczynski couldn't convert on a last second turnaround jumper and the Bears fell to 0-2 on the young season.

STATS OF THE MATCH:

• Conrad Luczynski (16), Junior Hodnett (13), and Akili Evans (11) all finished in double figures. 
• Evans and Blessin Kimble each finished with eight boards.
• Lenoir-Rhyne shot 40.4% (23-57) and 29.4% (5-17) from three. 
• Michigan Tech was held to just 31.4% (22-70) from the field and 27% (10-27) from three.
• Free throws were the difference in this one as Lenoir-Rhyne was just 14-25 from the stripe, compared to 12-14 for the Huskies.
• The Bears again struggled with turnovers, coughing it up 15 times in this one, compared to 10 for Michigan Tech.
• Lenoir-Rhyne dominated the pain, outscoring their counterparts 34-14 down low.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• These teams had never met prior to today. 
• The Bears held Michigan Tech All-American Marcus Tomashek to 11-34 shooting from the field and 4-16 from three.
• Lenoir-Rhyne is now 4-3 in overtime games under Brent Owen.

UP NEXT: The Bears won't take the court again until they face off against Chowan on Friday, November 14th, in the Southeast Region Challenge. They will follow that game up with a matchup against Clayton State on Saturday the 15th. Both games will take place in Murfreesboro, North Carolina.