Box Score GETTYSBURG, Pa. — Sophomore guard Andy Kleinlein (Chesterfield, Mo./Chaminade College Prep) made a driving layup with four seconds left in double overtime to propel the Washington and Lee men's basketball team to a 76-74 victory over Gettysburg in the championship of the Gettysburg Tip-Off Tournament.
The Generals (2-0) held a 58-53 lead with 1:49 remaining in regulation, but the Bullets (1-1) scored the final five points of the period to force overtime. In the first extra session, first-year forward Clayton Murtha (Dallas, Texas/Highland Park) gave W&L a two-point advantage, 60-58, with 4:24 on the clock. Sophomore guard Pete Christ hit a three on the next possession to give Gettysburg the lead (61-60).
After an empty possession for each team, Murtha split a pair of free throws to even the game, 61-61, with three minutes left. A triple by sophomore forward Tanner Kirkpatrick gave the Bullets a three-point edge, but junior forward Andrew Franz (Charlotte, N.C./Ravenscroft) nailed a three of his own on the next trip down the floor to tie the game at 64-64 with 2:05 left.
Franz then split a pair of three throws, but Gettysburg scored four straight points to take a 68-65 lead with 30 seconds left in the game. Senior forward Patrick O'Connor (Richmond, Va./Douglas Freeman) connected on a triple with 17 seconds left to tie the game (68-68), and the Generals' forced senior guard Sean Gordon to miss a jumper as time expired to send the game to double overtime.
The teams went back and forth to start the second extra period until a Christ three-pointer gave the Bullets a 72-71 lead with 1:51 remaining. O'Connor once again came up with a triple as W&L regained the advantage, 74-72. First-year forward Matt England tied the game (74-74) with 38 seconds remaining, as Gordon found him under the hoop for a wide open layup.
On the Generals final possession, the ball moved around the offense with Kleinlein receiving it at the top of the key with under 10 seconds remaining. He knifed through Bullets' defense and dropped in the game-winning bucket with four seconds on the clock. Gordon missed a potential game-winning triple as time expired.
Kleinlein finished the contest with 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting, while totaling six rebounds and three assists. He was named the Tournament MVP, as he also netted 19 points in W&L's season opener. Franz led the team with 19 points and had seven rebounds and four assists. He was named to the All-Tournament Team for his performance.
O'Connor notched 16 points on 11 shots and grabbed six rebounds. Murtha came off the bench and recorded 11 points on a perfect 4-for-4 from the field.
Christ led Gettysburg with 17 points, while Gordon added 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Kirkpatrick scored 14 points and first-year center Vitor Melo had 13.
This was the first double-overtime contest for the Generals since they lost at Bridgewater, 67-66, on January 30, 2013. It marked the first double-overtime victory for W&L since defeating Juniata, 93-89, on December 30, 2011.
The Generals return to action when they travel to Ferrum on Wednesday for a 7:00 pm contest.
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