NASSAU, Bahamas – Freshman Morgan Taylor hit the winning layup with 26 seconds remaining in overtime, and hauled in a critical defensive rebound that assured victory, as the University of the Incarnate Word men's basketball team defeated North Dakota State, 80-78, on Saturday in the Islands of the Bahamas Showcase tournament.
 
In addition to scoring the game winner, Taylor hit a three-pointer with six seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime, after having made two key free throws at the 1:24 mark to keep UIW in contention.
 
UIW is now 4-2 on the year. The Cardinals will play Florida Atlantic at 1 p.m. (CT) on Sunday for fifth place.

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SUPERLATIVES:
• After playing the North Dakota State to a standoff in the first half, UIW overcame a 15-point second-half deficit to send the game into overtime.
• Taylor scored 24 points, a season high, and hit half of his shots from the field, going 8 for 16.
• Senior Charles Brown III, starting his first game since the season opener, scored 14 points.
• Sophomores Cody Graham and Christian Peevy scored 13 and nine points, respectively.
• The hustling Cardinal defense forced the Bison to commit three turnovers in overtime.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half:
• UIW started Smith, Graham, Brown, Taylor and Jorden Kite.
• UIW took two early leads: 3-1 on Graham's three-pointer and 6-5 on Brown's three free throws.
• Brown had nine of UIW's first 16 points.
• Graham's short jumper made it 22-21 UIW with 9:45 remaining in the half.
• UIW took a five-point lead on Graham's two free throws and Augustine Ene's fast break layup.
• North Dakota State led 41-40 at halftime.
• Each team shot 64 percent from the floor. NDSU shot 58 percent from beyond the three-point line.
• Brown had 11 points at the halftime break. Taylor had eight, Graham seven and Peevy five.
• The score was tied 10 times and the lead changed hands 12 times in the first half.
• UIW's biggest lead was five points; SDSU's biggest lead was three.

Second Half:
• NDSU opened an eight-point lead early in the second half.
• The Bison lead varied between six and eight points for the first eight minutes of the half.
• NDSU went up by 15 with 8:30 remaining in the game.
• Contributions from Smith, Peevy and Graham cut the Bison lead to 61-54 with seven minutes left.
• The deficit remained at seven after Taylor's layup with five minutes to go.
• Ene's three-pointer later cut the lead to six, and Peevy's basket cut it to four, 67-63, with 3:23 left in the half.
• A tip in by Ene with 1: 53 left pulled the Cardinals within five.
• Two free throws by Taylor decreased the Bison lead to three, 70-67, with 1:24 left.
• In the scoring that ensued, Smith's three-pointer and Ene's free throw kept UIW in contention.
• Taylor's three-pointer tied the score at 74-74, sending the game into overtime.
 
Overtime:
• A key block by Ene at the 4:48 mark prevented a Bison bucket
• Taylor's free throw gave the Cardinals a 75-74 lead with 4:18 left.
• A Bison bucket at 3:21 put NDSU up by 76-75.
• A Bisson offensive foul gave UIW the ball with 2:46 left
• Then, the Cardinals defense forced a shot-clock turnover with 1:57 left.
• A Bison turnover at 1:20 gave the Cardinals possession.
• Smith hit a three-pointer to put Cardinals ahead, 78-76, with 55 seconds left.
• Two Bison free throws at the 46-second mark tied the score, 78-78.
• Taylor's layup with 26 seconds remaining gave UIW its 80-78 margin of victory, and his subsequent defensive rebound prevented any last-second Bison heroics.
 
COACH CUNNINGHAM SAID
I'm happy for the fellas. They battled. They stuck with it. It was fun to grapple in the arena with them. North Dakota State played hard and threw different kinds of smoke at us, but our guys stayed in it, kept getting after it.
 
It was fun, and we can grow a lot from this game. Now we rest up, talk about what worked & what we need to improve & turn our focus to another competitive contest slated for tomorrow.
 
STAY TUNED
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