Eagles Stage Incredible Comeback Win!

The Emmaus Men traveled to Joplin, MO for a Friday night matchup with Ozark Christian and didn't know what was about to happen to them.  In a game that looked like a sure defeat, the Eagles somehow came out a winner in a dramatic fashion, winning 89-87 to claim their first conference victory.

To put it simply, the Eagles weren't playing very well to begin the game.  From turnovers to missed shots, nothing seemed to go right for the men while Ozark seemingly could do no wrong.  If you checked the score, you would have thought you were at a football game (missed one missed extra point) as Ozark raced to a quick 20-0 lead to start the first half.  

This writer isn't sure if Emmaus ever started like this before but hopefully not.  Finally, Steve Horan made two free throws after getting fouled and the Eagles had broken the ice to make it 20-2.  There was to be a long march ahead of them if they were to pull this one out.

At the horn to end the first half, the Eagles had cut into the Ozark slightly and now only trailed by 14 points which isn't good but it sure wasn't 20.  The Eagles tried to remember that they had one time came back from at least a 16 point deficit to Barclay to take the lead (only to fall short in the end).  Cody Cunard led the Eagles in scoring at the half with 8 points.

The goal of the Eagles was to chip away at the Ozark lead and chip away they did.  Slowly but surely, the lead began to shrink.  Led by the incredible outside shooting of Steven Horan, the Eagles wouldn't go away.  Horan made an amazing 8 out of 10 three point baskets in the half to keep the Eagles alive.  

As the game was coming to a close, Ozark held a 1 point lead with ten seconds to go on a driving basket to set up a special ending for the Eagles.  After inbounding the ball and advancing it to half court, the Eagles called timeout with 3.9 seconds to go.  

On the ensuing and ultimately, the games final play, a covered Horan found Caleb Postma behind the three point line.  Postma clearly released the ball before the horn.  The shot was on its way.  The horn went off.  Time stood still.  The ball then found the bottom of the net and the Eagles had pulled off an exciting comeback.  Congrats to both teams who played their hearts out.  It's a shame there has to be only one winner in the standings in games like that.