Bol Kong nailed a deep three-pointer with less than a minute on the clock to force overtime and then scored a key basket in the extra session to help the X-men defeat the Ottawa Gee-Gees 74-71 in overtime at the 2011 Rod Shoveller Memorial basketball tournament.
Bol Kong made his highly anticipated debut coming off the bench, but in the first half, he looked out of sync with two travelling calls and a few ill-advised passes.
However, the former NCAA Division I prospect settled down in the second half and was more assertive with his decision-making, ensuring that his long 6-8 frame was felt on the defensive end.
He finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and two steals in 31 minutes.
Terry Thomas was the high scorer for the X-men with 19 points.
ST.FX jumped out to a 22-15 lead and looked in control of the game until the Gee-Gees used a 25-6 run midway through the second quarter and held the X-Men scoreless for the first three minutes of the third to grab a 41-28 advantage.
Head Coach Steve Konchalski switched the tempo by employing a full-court press that culminated in an 8-0 run and helped spark the X-Men comeback.
The X-Men improve their record to 14-0 and will now face the UPEI Panthers in the tournament semi-final. Both teams are undefeated in the AUS conference.
Sophomore guard Johnny Berhanemeskel had the hot hand for Ottawa, pouring a game-high 31 points. Warren Ward struggled with his shot selection and finished with a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The Gee-Gees drop yet another winnable game. Ottawa has some nice components, but one has to wonder if their youth is costing them in close games.
