March 22, 2015

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Bloomington Flex needed two overtimes Sunday against the Gateway Steam to put an end to a two-game losing streak, but it looked for much of the game like the visiting Steam were going to saddle the Flex with their first-ever three-game skid.

                    A strong overtime performance by the Flex’s Fabyon Harris and Justin Bocot gave the home team a 157-151 win, despite trailing by nine points going into the fourth quarter.  The Flex are now tied for first in the Midwest Professional Basketball Association at 13-4, while Gateway fell to 5-10.

                    The Flex jumped out to a ten-point first-quarter lead, but a 14-2 run by Gateway over the final two minutes of the period gave the Steam a 31-29 edge after one.  The Flex briefly regained the lead on a C.J. Hampton three-pointer with 10:08 to play in the half; it would be the last lead the Flex would see until the middle of the fourth quarter, as a pair of Steam three-pointers at the end of the half gave Gateway 66-60 lead at the break.

                    Gateway opened up an eleven-point lead in the third quarter on a pair of Terrell Williams free throws with 7:19 left.  The Flex got it down to three with 1:10 to play, but Gateway scored three quick buckets to close out the period with a 97-88 lead.

                    The Flex charged out of the gate in the fourth quarter on a 12-2 run to tie the game at 100 on a Ray Miller tip-in with 8:55 to play in regulation.  Bloomington looked like it was going to take control, opening up a six-point lead at 115-109, but Gateway’s Tarvin Gaines tied the game at 117 with 1:24 left.

                    The Flex had a chance to ice the game with :16.5 remaining and a 121-119 lead, but Miller missed a pair of free throws.  Terrell Williams then hit a pair at the other end with :13.5 to play to tie the game at 121.  Bloomington could not score on the ensuing possession, and the game went to overtime.

                    Gateway surged to a four-point lead at 129-125, but Harris then took control for the Flex.  Harris gave the Flex the lead on a three-point play with 1:40 left in the first overtime at 132-131, and then extended the lead with a pair of free throws to 138-135 with :12.6 to play.

                    Jake Anderson then struck on long three-pointer over the outstretched hand of Bloomington’s Trey Blue with :02.5 left, tying the game at 138 and sending the contest into a second overtime.

                    The second overtime was all Bloomington, as Gateway began to lose players to foul trouble.  Anderson tied the game at 144, but another Harris layup followed by a Justin Bocot three-point play and a Hampton three-pointer gave the Flex a 152-147 lead.  Terrell Williams scored with :55 to play to get the Steam within three, but they would get no closer, as Harris closed out the game from the free-throw line.

                    Harris finished with 21 points, most of them in the two overtime periods.  C.J. Hampton led the Flex with 31, while Justin Bocot added 30 points and 11 rebounds.  Ray Miller and Matt Salley each tallied Flex career-highs with 22 points apiece.  Salley also grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds, as Anthony Slack missed the game with a variety of injuries.

                    Anderson and Gaines led the Steam with 31 each, while Brandon McGill tallied 27.  Terrell Williams added 20 for the Steam, who saw their four-game winning streak come to an end.

                    The Flex are next in action Friday at home against the Windy City Groove, while the Steam host the Champaign Swarm on Wednesday.