In a game in which both schools forced an extra period with 0.0 remaining on the clock, 13^th-ranked Lourdes ultimately rallied from a 12-point second half deficit to defeat Aquinas 71-69 in double overtime on Wednesday evening inside the Russell J. Ebeid Recreation Center.
 
"I'm happy with the outcome but I'm still disappointed tonight," head coach Dennis Hopson said afterwards.  "Our mindset coming into games needs to get better.  We have a great situation in hand and need to come out and play hard.  We are not shooting the ball well and standing around too much.  Aquinas was definitely the better team tonight."
 
Aquinas scored the game's first six points and never trailed in the opening half.  Leading 1-15 with just under 10 minutes to play, the Saints closed the opening stanza on a 14-4 run to take a 30-19 lead into the locker room.
 
The Saints lead was 12, 37-25, with 13:41 to play in regulation when the Gray Wolves began to claw back.  Five straight points pulled Lourdes to within seven less than a minute later.  Trailing by six, 48-42, with seven minutes to play, Lourdes scored six straight points, tying the game at 48 on a basket by Little Anderson (Toledo, Ohio/Cardinal Stritch H.S.).
 
A basket inside by Nick Welch (Temperance, Mich./Saint Mary Catholic Central H.S.) at the 3:52 mark put the Gray Wolves in front for the first time on the night, 51-49.  Aquinas retook the lead with 1:49 to play and pushed the lead to three, 55-52, with a pair of free throws with 12.3 seconds to play.  After a missed shot and the ball going out of bounds with 0.5 seconds left, Anderson was fouled on a last second attempt as time expired.  He made all three free throws to force overtime.
 
In the first extra session, Welch, who had 18 points and 12 rebounds after halftime, put Lourdes in front with 44.7 seconds remaining.  Aquinas tied the game with 18.5 ticks on the clock.  Working for a last shot, McRay White (Cleveland, Ohio/Garfield Heights H.S.) scored down low and was fouled, putting Lourdes in front 62-59 with 2.3 second left.  The Saints threw a long pass and Jesse Hillis made a triple as the horn sounded to force another five minutes.
 
Aquinas led 66-64 with 2:54 to play in the stanza when Lourdes scored the next six points to seize control.  Anderson tied the game and two free throws by White with 1:26 put the Gray Wolves in front for good.  Kenny Coleman (Toledo, Ohio/Saint Francis de Sales H.S.) made it a four-point lead with 33.4 to play but Beau LePage made a three with 10.6 left to cut the lead to one.  Bryce McComb (Swanton, Ohio/Swanton H.S.) made one of two free throws with 6.4 seconds on the clock and the Saints' 28-footer at the horn missed the mark to win.
 
Welch led Lourdes with 22 points and 16 rebounds.
 
"Nick is a bright spot for us right now," Hopson added.  "He's getting better at the right time.  He's getting to the glass, scoring the ball, and is a good team player."
 
White added 14 points and nine boards while Anderson scored 12 points.  Coleman tallied 10 points as four Gray Wolves finished in double figures.
 
Hillis led Aquinas (8-16, 4-10) with 14 points while Davion Benton added 10 points and 13 rebounds.
 
Lourdes (18-6, 11-3) returns to the hardwood on Saturday afternoon, as the Gray Wolves travel to Adrian, Mich. to battle Siena Heights.  Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. inside the SHU Fieldhouse.