ST. PAUL, MN – Jamestown Jimmies Men’s Basketball gave a lot on Saturday, but Concordia St. Paul gave what it needed at the finish.

21st-ranked CSP scored the game’s last nine points and held Jamestown scoreless over the last 3:11 in a 73-71 victory at the Gangelhoff Center in the CSP Thanksgiving Classic.

The last points for the Jimmies (2-4) came on a layup by Ford Okehi with 3:11 left.  Ryan Johnson hit one free throw and Owen Carlson and Ben Kopetzki sank two each and CSP (5-1) was within 71-69 with 2:13 to go.

With 33 seconds to play, Owen Hektner had just gained a rebound for UJ when the Golden Bears’ Owen Carlson stole the ball and tied the game at 71-71 with a layup.

Okehi missed what would have been a go-ahead layup for the Jimmies with just under seven seconds left.  Carlson rebounded for CSP and, after a time out, Kopetzki drove toward the hoop and was fouled by Hektner.  Kopetzki hit both free throws for a 73-71 CSP advantage.

Okehi took a pass, dribbled to midcourt, and threw a desperation three-pointer off the right rim, the second straight game where Jamestown just missed a miracle shot at the final buzzer.

Kopetzki led CSP with 25 points.  Chet Kloss scored 10 with 11 rebounds.  Sam West also had 10.

Anthony Walters matched his season-high for the Jimmies with 25 points.  Okehi scored 18 with five rebounds, five assists and a steal.

Jamestown trailed by eight with just under nine minutes left in the first half before briefly leading.  CSP led 39-38 at halftime.

The Golden Bears led by eight points with 13:11 left, but a 12-5 run, capped by a Walters three with 8:47 on the clock, made Jamestown a 60-58 leader.

Down 63-61 with just over five minutes to go, the Jimmies then had a 10-1 run, with Walters and Okehi scoring five points each.

This was a non-conference game for the Jimmies, though it was against an NSIC opponent.  The same will be true Sunday when the Jimmies play Southwest Minnesota State.  Coverage will begin at 1:30 PM Sunday on The Voice of the Jimmies, Jamestown 107.1.

photo credit: Concordia St. Paul Athletics