Center Valley, PA (January 3, 2015) – Sophomore Brian Laird torched the nets for a career-high 22 points leading the DeSales University men's basketball team past Elizabethtown College, 72-69, in a double overtime thriller in Billera Hall on Saturday afternoon in the opening game of the DeSales Holiday Tournament presented by OAA.
 
The Bulldogs will take on McDaniel College, a 66-52 winner over New Jersey City University in the other day one game, on Sunday afternoon beginning at 4:00 pm in the championship game of the tournament.  NJCU will take on the Blue Jays in the consolation game beginning at 2:00 pm.
 
Laird finished the afternoon 8-for-11 from the field, hitting four three-pointers.  Senior Travis Bryan recorded his second double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds and freshman Aaron Burton also played well with 17 points and nine boards in the win.
 
Lee Eckert led the Blue Jays (4-6) with 19 points and six rebounds, while Joe Bodnar and Josh Eden each had 10 points in the loss.
 
DeSales led early (16-13) after a lay-up from Laird but then went ice cold from the field, scoring just four more points over the final 9:33 of the half all from the free throw line as E-Town took advantage finishing the half on a 21-4 run to take a 34-20 lead into the locker room.  DeSales shot just 33.3 percent from the field as compared to 50.0 percent for the Blue Jays who took advantage of nine first-half Bulldog turnovers to score 13 points.
 
The lead was still double digits (48-35) at the 10:05 mark of the second-half when the Bulldogs made their move.  Six straight points pulled DSU within seven (48-41) and after trading baskets over the next few possessions Laird pulled DeSales within four with a three at the 4:50 mark.
 
Each team traded one free throw before a steal by sophomore Ryan Callahan led to a gorgeous passing display finishing with a fast break lay-in from Burton pulling the Bulldogs within a bucket with 3:16 to go.
 
A lay-up from Bodnar was answered by two free throws from junior Cody Deal and EC's Eckert missed two freebies on the other end giving DSU a chance to tie with 1:50 left to play.  Deal found Burton curling around a screen for a lay-up in the paint and the game was tied with 1:26 on the clock.  An Elizabethtown turnover saw DSU gain possession but a missed lay-up on both ends by each team sent the game into overtime.
 
Neither team held more than a two-point lead in the first overtime as Eckert tied the game and had a chance to give EC a one-point lead from the free throw line with 12 seconds left but his charity toss went long as DSU's last second shot was short sending the game into a second overtime.
 
A three-point play from Bryan opened the second OT and after a Blue Jay turnover Callahan slammed home two points to give the Bulldogs a five-point cushion.  E-Town countered immediately with a three-point play from Eckert and took a one-point lead on a three from Bodnar at the 1:45 mark.
 
One free throw from Bryan tied the game with 1:19 remaining and after a turnover from Elizabethtown Laird provided the dagger hitting a three from the right wing and Burton sealed the win with two free throws with 11 seconds left as a three-pointer from the top of the key from Tyler Simpkiss was off the mark as the buzzer sounded.
 
DSU finished the game shooting 39.7 percent and out-rebounded the Blue Jays, 46-37.  E-Town shot 41.4 percent from the field.  After the Blue Jays took advantage of nine first-half turnovers scoring 13 points, EC had just three more points off turnovers over the final 30 minutes, while DeSales scored 16 points off Blue Jay turnovers in the second-half and overtime.