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Fort Recovery's Briggs Overman goes up for a basket during Tuesday's non-conference basketball game with Fort Loramie at Fort Site Fieldhouse.
FORT RECOVERY - After getting some late-game heroics on Saturday, Fort Recovery found itself again in need of a late bucket to stay unbeaten.
The Indians had the play, but the shot just missed as Fort Loramie exited Fort Site Fieldhouse with a 46-45 overtime victory in Tuesday night boys basketball action.
"We told the kids it was a great effort," said Fort Recovery coach Bob Leverette. "We knew it was going to be a dogfight. Fort Loramie is (a) blue-collar (team). That's how they roll."
Neither team could put the other away through the first 32 minutes. Loramie was up as much as seven in leading 18-11 midway through the second quarter, only to have the Indians storm back and take a 19-18 lead at halftime when Gavin Faller completed a hoop-and-harm 3-point play with 2.8 seconds remaining in the first half.
Loramie came out firing in the second half, as Alex Boerger hit a trey 32 seconds into the third quarter to put the Redskins in front. Over the remaining 7:28 of the quarter, the teams traded the lead four more times and were tied twice. Fort Loramie freshman Eli Heitkamp hit a trio of treys during the quarter as the Redskins led 35-30 at halftime.
Fort Recovery was in no mood to capitulate. Briggs Overman, who hit several big shots in the first half to keep the Indians in the game, started the fourth quarter scoring four straight points. Faller then put the Indians in front 36-35 with 4:12 remaining in regulation with two free throws. Max Maurer quickly put Loramie back in front with a bucket with under four to play and then added another bucket 20 seconds later to make it 39-36.
Overman cut it to 39-37 with a free throw, but Maurer nearly applied the coup de grâce with a 3-pointer with three minutes to play. Fort Recovery did not panic, though, as Alex Dues hit a trey to cut it to 42-40 with 2:18 remaining in regulation. The teams traded scoreless possessions before Loramie lost its next possession on a foul. That allowed the Indians to get another shot at tying or leading, and Troy Homan stepped up with a layup with a minute to play to tie the game. Loramie missed a 3-pointer on its next possession to send the game to overtime.
Overman gave the Indians the first points of the extra session with a short jumper, only to have Maurer knot the game with a bucket 30 seconds later.
Fort Recovery's Rex Leverette shoots the ball.
Rex Leverette, who tallied the game-winning bucket in the final seconds of Saturday's win over Bradford, hit one of two free throws with 1:29 to play to give Fort Recovery a 45-44 lead. Spencer Knouff's jumper from the foul line with 71 seconds remaining gave the Redskins back the lead.
The Indians tried a 3-pointer but missed, but the Redskins could not maintain possession, turning it over on a traveling call. Fort Recovery took timeouts with 37.7 and 19 seconds remaining to try to find a play. The Indians missed a shot, but got the rebound via a jump ball with the possession arrow in the Indians' direction with 3.6 seconds to go.
After both teams called timeout, Fort Recovery tried one last play, but the shot was off the mark and rebounded by Loramie's Carter Eilerman to end the game.
"What more can you ask for at the end? Having the ball underneath your own basket," said coach Leverette. "We had used all of our inbounds sets through the game. We kind of drew something up. (Fort Loramie) was physical and got us away from what we were actually trying to get."
Fort Recovery's Troy Homan tries to pass the ball around Fort Loramie's Maxwell Maurer (21) as Ty Kemper tries to help guard.
Overman finished with a 15-point effort off the bench, drawing praise from coach Leverette.
"What can I say? He did what he does every day in practice," said coach Leverette. "It was good to see him in (the third game) to get that confidence."
Faller finished with a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Maurer paced Fort Loramie (1-1) with 15 points and seven rebounds. Heitkamp added 11 points.
Fort Recovery will look to bounce back Friday as the Indians host Parkway in Midwest Athletic Conference play.
