Harrison's Clutch Free Throws Pave Way For OT Win Over Denison

Wittenberg Basketball Cameron Harrison
Cameron Harrison drained three free throws to force overtime in a 71-68 win over Denison.

Springfield, Ohio - In his three years of intercollegiate basketball at Wittenberg University, it would be hard to identify a more significant occasion for Cameron Harrison (Eaton, Ohio/National Trail) than the final second of regulation against visiting Denison. After getting fouled as he lined up a potential game-tying three-pointer, Harrison calmly stepped to the free throw line and knocked down all three shots to force an extra five minutes. From there, the Tigers held Denison without a field goal en route to a 71-68 victory.

The win created a tie atop the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) standings. The Tigers ran their winning streak to four in a row to improve to 11-4 overall and 5-1 in the league. Denison fell to 9-6 overall and 5-1 in the NCAC.

A 10-0 run early in the game staked Denison to a 12-2 lead, and the Big Red held that advantage until Harrison came up clutch at the charity stripe in the final second of regulation. His heroics capped a phenomenal rally after Wittenberg trailed by 15 points with 10 minutes left in regulation.

Denison shot a much higher percentage from the field in the game than Wittenberg, but the Big Red committed 17 turnovers, compared to eight for the Tigers. The Big Red won the rebounding battle, 33-31.

Wittenberg's leading scorer was Tyler Galluch (Springfield, Ohio/Catholic Central) with 15 points off the bench. He led four players in double figures offensively as Harrison and Trey Killens (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mason) added 13 points apiece and Dawson Scott (New Castle, Indiana/New Castle) chipped in with 11 points off the bench.

After rallying for the big win, the Tigers next hit the road for the next edition of one of the best rivalries in college sports. Wittenberg will travel to Wooster for another key NCAC game that tips off at 7 p.m. Saturday, January 13.