USIU Comes In From the Cold to Win, 77-73

The day began at 4:45 a.m. in a zero-degree snowstorm in Colorado and ended in a wild, double-overtime victory in Golden Hall for the United States International University men’s basketball team Wednesday.

After trailing by 15 points in the second half, USIU rallied behind two key three-point shots to beat St. Peter’s College, 77-73.

The victory ended a three-game losing streak for the Gulls (7-11). For St. Peter’s (8-3), a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference team from Jersey City, N.J., the defeat ended a four-game winning streak.

USIU’s Steve Smith hit both ends of a one-and-one with two seconds left in the second five-minute overtime period to secure the victory. Smith scored 25 points for USIU.

The Gulls’ hopes were kept alive when guard Russ Heicke hit a three-pointer from five feet beyond the three-point line near the top of the key to tie the score, 68-68, with 21 seconds left in the first overtime.

“Usually I have to stick pretty close to the line,” said Heicke, who finished with 25 points, including three baskets from three-point range. “In my mind, I knew I was quite a ways from the (three-point) line, but it felt good and it just went down.”

Rade Milutinovic’s three-pointer in the final second of regulation was perhaps the most exciting shot of the game. The shot climaxed an amazing comeback by the Gulls.

With 8:45 left in regulation, St. Peter’s took a 50-35 lead after Willie Haynes sank a free throw to complete a three-point play after he was fouled on a fast-break layup.

The comeback was especially sweet considering the game the Gulls were involved in the night before against Air Force in Colorado Springs.

Then, the Gulls had a 48-47 lead after Heicke hit a three-pointer with 13:57 left. Soon after, he was involved in a fight with Air Force’s Matt Sobolewski. Eventually both benches cleared in the brawl.

Because of the altercation, three USIU players were ejected, including Heicke, and two Air Force players.

Air Force went on to score 21 straight points, winning, 89-68.

“They deserved this win (against St. Peter’s) after what happened against Air Force,” USIU Coach Gary Zarecky said. “More than anything else they needed this win.”

Heicke said he was unsure how fit he and his teammates would be after the trip home from Colorado Springs. The Gulls’ flight was delayed two hours and the players had little time to rest before Wednesday night’s game.

“All of the guys were saying how tired they were all day (Wednesday), so we weren’t sure about the team attitude,” Heicke said. “We have a tendency not to hold together as a team, but tonight we played well as a team.”

After being dominated inside in the first half, USIU was able to match up with St. Peter’s by the half. St. Peter’s outrebounded the Gulls, 19-17, in the first half. But USIU eventually took control, and after the two overtimes, had outrebounded St. Peter’s, 45-41.