LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Men's basketball picked up its fifth-straight victory and second consecutive overtime victory, 94-86 over Chapman on Wednesday, January 21 in Rush Gym.
 
The Tigers and Panthers battled back and forth all game, tied at half and the end of regulation, but 24 from Nicky Clotfelter and some solid free throw shooting down the stretch helped the Tigers pick up the win.
 
Chapman opened the game with a 6-0 run, but the Tigers were quick to respond, closing the gap to one. Following the first five minutes of the half, the Tigers jumped out to a lead they held until the final seconds of the frame. Alex McCleery Brown's 11 first-half points led Oxy's offensive attack.
 
The Panthers capitalized on a Tiger technical foul, putting together a four-point swing in the last two seconds of the half to even the score at 38 heading into the locker room.
 
The second half was more of the same, with no team holding a lead greater than five points in the frame. With less than six minutes to go, the Panthers knocked down a triple to notch their largest lead of the second half – four.
 
With their backs against the wall, the Tigers fed Clotfelter inside who led the Tigers in scoring and tallied 18 points in the second half. The senior was dominant on the glass and around the key, finishing 11-of-13 from the field in 28 minutes off the bench. He helped Oxy shoot 62.5% in the final 25 minutes of the game.
 
It was all Tigers in overtime as Oxy opened the frame with a 10-4 run that started with good defense in the paint and on the perimeter, getting a stop then forcing a turnover on the subsequent possession. Perry Rainey sealed the Tiger win with an elbow jumper and three free throws down the stretch.
 
McCleery Brown and reigning SCIAC Offensive Player of the Week Nasir Luna combined for 40 points, 21 and 19 respectively. McCleery Brown earned his seventh double-double of the season with 15 rebounds – the sophomore is now in a nine-way tie for 24th in double-doubles across all of Division III. Rainey added nine, three assists, four rebounds and two blocks – including a game-saving block late in the second.
 
With the victory, the Tigers improved to 14-3 and 7-1 in SCIAC play. They're now in a three-way tie atop the SCIAC with Claremont-M-S and Redlands following a Bulldog OT victory over the Stags Wednesday night. Chapman fell to 10-7 and 4-4.
 
Oxy is back in action on Saturday in Redlands, taking on the No. 11 Bulldogs at 5 p.m.
 
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Follow @oxyathletics on Instagram. All games can be streamed live on FloCollege.com. To follow the Tigers live all season long and for the most up to date information, visit oxyathletics.com.
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