DETROIT, Mich.— A game that appeared to be in the bag for the Pride, who led by as much as 17 in the second half, lost in overtime to the Wayne State Warriors 80-79. PNW Head Coach Boomer Roberts reflected on the tough loss as a teaching lesson for his team. "Basketball teaches life, and we are growing through painful experiences."
 
The Pride dominated early, outscoring the Warriors 35-25 in the first half. Shooting 5-11 from behind the arc, PNW was able to pull away and give themselves a healthy lead after the first twenty minutes of the game. The Black and Gold shot 4-5 from the charity stripe and dominated on the boards, out rebounding Wayne State 29-11, including 12 offensive boards to the Warriors four. Jyrus Freels shot 6-8 from the field in the first half with 12 points and six rebounds, and Chandler Spring was perfect from three, finishing the half with nine points.
 
As the second half clock wound down, the Pride found themselves up 12 with just 1:34 left in the game. After a few untimely PNW turnovers and some timely shooting, Wayne State was able to climb back, trailing by just one with 16 seconds left on the clock. An intentional foul from the Warriors sent Xavier Hallinan to the line for the second-consecutive possession. Hitting both of his free throws the possession prior, he was unable to convert on a one-and-one, giving Wayne State time to put up a shot. In a last-second desperation attempt, Wayne State heaved up a shot from deep, but was fouled, sending the Warriors to the line for three freebies. Hitting just one of three, a game that was going the Pride's way most of the night headed to overtime.
 
In a back and forth five minutes, PNW found themselves in position to give themselves the lead, but missed two late layups with under a minute to play. Xavier Allison stole the ball from Wayne State and dished it to Durante Lee, who was unable to come up with the go-ahead shot with 3.5 seconds remaining. A botched rebound from the Warriors sent the ball out of bounds, giving the Pride possession. Missing a shot at the buzzer, the Pride fell in overtime 80-79.
 
"I love my guys," continued Roberts. "This group has each other's backs in good times and bad. We are learning and moving forward each week, and that's what being a man looks like."
 
The Pride return to the court this Saturday, February 15 in Ashland, Ohio. The game against the Ashland University Eagles begins at 2:00 PM (CT).