BETHANY, OK –  In their first Division II game, Jamestown Jimmies Men’s Basketball nearly pulled off a shocker, but the home team and the ranked team got by.

20th-ranked Southern Nazarene had an 8-2 run over the last 3:05 to hold off Jamestown Friday 71-67 in the Great American Conference/NSIC Challenge at Sawyer Center.

SNU led by nine points with 7:57 to play before the Jimmies rallied.  UJ tied the game on a three-pointer by Anthony Walters with 3:16 to go.  Shortly thereafter, Henry Meyer made a steal and hit a fast break layup and Jamestown led 65-63 with 3:05 remaining.

Two free throws by Southern Nazarene’s Baron Bracey evened the game with two minutes to go.  Walters gave the Jimmies their last lead at 67-65 with a dunk with 1:47 to play.  Bracey then hit the game-winning jumper for the Crimson with 24 seconds left.

Walters missed what would have been a tying layup with four seconds left and SNU’s Malik Edwards clinched the game with two free throws with two seconds on the clock.

Bracey, Edwards and James Burries scored 13 points each for Southern Nazarene.  Owen Hektner hit five three-pointers for the Jimmies and led all scorers with 17 points.  Walters scored 11 and Meyer had 10.

Jamestown, who led 32-31 at halftime, shot 40 percent from the floor while SNU shot 41 percent.  Southern Nazarene outrebounded UJ 40-37.  The Jimmies made 11 three-pointers.

Jamestown will meet Northwestern Oklahoma State on Saturday in Bethany.

photo credit: Southern Nazarene University Athletics