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SAN ANTONIO — Junior Melvin Johnson III scored 20 points, junior Michael Hale III added 16 and UTSA outlasted Bowling Green, 86-79, in overtime on Sunday afternoon at the Convocation Center.
The Roadrunners (7-6) led by as many as nine in the first half but had to overcome a late deficit to force their third overtime game of the season. Johnson III scored 17 of his 20 after halftime, including 11 in the extra period, while Hale III poured in a dozen after the break to help lead UTSA to its first win against the Mid-American Conference's Falcons (6-7) and improve to 5-1 this season following a loss.
Senior Stephen Franklin posted the team’s first double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds and he also registered six assists and a block, while sophomore Jeromie Hill joined those three Roadrunners in double figures with 10 points.
Torian Oglesby led the Falcons with 20 points on 10-of-10 shooting and 13 rebounds, while Jordon Crawford added 16 points and 11 assists.
Crawford gave the Falcons a 64-61 lead on a long jumper with a minute-and-a-half left. Hale III then knotted the score with a long three from the top of the key with 1:13 to play.
After a missed trey at the other end and offensive rebound, Hale III came up with a steal to give the ball back to UTSA with less than 40 seconds remaining.
UTSA misfired and Bowling Green got the ball back with a chance at the final shot, but Crawford missed a jumper from the top of the key at the buzzer, which sent the game to overtime.
A Franklin free throw gave the Roadrunners a one-point cushion early in the extra frame. Johnson III and Hale III then knocked down long 3-pointers from the left wing on back-to-back possessions to give UTSA a 71-64 lead with 1:38 to play.
Luke Kraus then drained a trey from the corner for the Falcons, but Johnson III struck again from long distance to keep the lead at seven. Johnson III then made 1-of-2 at the line after an Oglesby layup to make it 75-69 with a minute left.
Scott Thomas was fouled on a layup attempt, but he missed both. Senior Alex Vouyoukas cleared the glass on the second miss and was hacked. He made both to push the advantage to eight. Vouyoukas, who recorded eight points, blocked his second shot of the game at the other end and Franklin came up with the loose ball and was fouled. He made both freebies and UTSA converted 6-of-8 from the line from there to hold on for the seven-point victory.
The Roadrunners shot 44.8 percent and made 11-of-17 (64.7 percent) from beyond the arc to help offset a tough day at the charity stripe. UTSA was 85-for-98 (86.7 percent) from the free-throw line in the last six games, but it made just 23-of-35 (64.7 percent) in the New Year's Day tilt. The Roadrunners forced 21 turnovers — 10 via steals — and converted those into 20 points to help overcome a 47-31 deficit on the glass.
Bowling Green shot 43.2 percent, but it also struggled at the charity stripe (58.3 percent). The Falcons took advantage of 18 offensive boards with 19 second-chance points.
UTSA built as much as a nine-point lead in the first half and held a 29-21 advantage at the break behind balanced scoring and pressure defense. Eight different Roadrunners scored, led by Vouyoukas’s six points, and UTSA turned 15 Bowling Green turnovers into 14 points.
The Falcons opened the second half with a 12-4 run that was capped by Crawford’s trey from the right wing that knotted the score at 33. A’Uston Calhoun’s layup gave Bowling Green its first lead of the game and a follow slam dunk by Torian Oglesby made it 37-33 with 12:42 remaining.
UTSA responded with a Hale III 3-pointer and a fast-break layup by sophomore Tyler Wood to grab the lead back, 38-37.
The lead changed hands nine times from there before Hale III’s game-tying three in the final minute of regulation.
The Roadrunners conclude their current three-game home stand against Nicholls (4-8) at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 4, in what will be the Southand Conference opener for both squads.