Rose Bud and Charleston exchanged blows for 40 minutes Saturday in the Rose Bud Classic before the Ramblers pulled away in double overtime for a 91-87 victory over the Tigers at Rambler Arena.
After Rose Bud jumped out to an 8-4 lead the Tigers scored six straight then Cody Smith and Chris Brown traded 3-pointers before Zeb Prothro hit a pull up bank from the left side, tying the game at 13-up going into the second quarter.
Rose Bud built a 22-17 lead as Zach Leach, Smith and Prothro each sank a 3-pointer early in the second quarter but Charleston stayed close as Tyler Davis drilled a trey from the right corner and Jordan Shelby added a free throw, pulling the Tigers within three.
Leach and Prothro sandwiched 3-pointers around a stick back by Davis as the Ramblers took a 32-25 lead but Charleston used a 6-0 spurt to pull within one, including two buckets by Davis.
Jacob Pio made two free throws 34.3 seconds left in the first half, giving the Ramblers a 34-31 lead at intermission.
Leading 41-38 midway through the third quarter, Rose Bud extended its lead to 10 as Smith nailed a trey up top, Pio scored on a double-clutch bank then he found Leach for two more but Brown responded with a deep 3-pointer from the left wing.
Brown’s 3-ball ignited a 10-2 run by the Tigers that pulled them within three at 50-47 but Pio ended the run with two free throws at the 2:49 mark in the third period.
After Brown lobbed to Shelby for a bucket, Pio drove into the lane and finished on two consecutive possessions, pushing the Ramblers’ lead to 56-49.
Charleston sandwiched two field goals around a Smith jumper to pull within five at 58-53 heading into the fourth quarter.
Charleston pulled within three twice early in the fourth but Protho, Smith and Pio continued to answer.
With Rose Bud leading 64-59 after a driving lay-up by Pio, Jordan Ackers scored in transition then Brown sank two from the charity stripe, pulling the Tigers within one at 64-63.
Pio found Prothro on the left block for two but Brown fired back with a 3-pointer from the left corner, knotting the score at 66-up. Smith answered with a jumper from the left wing but Chris Marry nailed a trey from the left corner, giving Charleston a 69-68 lead.
Rose Bud reclaimed the lead on a jumper by Leach but Charleston scored the next four as Brown drove the left baseline for a lay-up then Michael Meador hit a pull up jumper from the free throw line.
With the Tigers leading 73-70, Smith snatched a steal and converted on the offensive end then Charleston missed the front end of a 1-and-1 and Smith made the Tigers pay by grabbing an offensive rebound and popping a jumper from the right baseline, giving Rose Bud a 74-73 lead.
Smith pushed the Ramblers’ lead to 75-73 with a free throw but Meador drew a foul with 4.9 seconds remaining and made both, sending the game into overtime, tied 75-up.
Leach opened the first four-minute overtime period with a 3-pointer from the right corner but Charleston scored the next three, including a tip-in by Shelby.
With the game knotted at 78-up, neither team was able to muster a point in the final two minutes as the game went to double overtime.
Rose Bud opened the second overtime with an 8-2 run as Prothro made two free throws, Smith found Pio in transition for two then Pio added a free throw before Davis hit a jumper from the right wing.
Pio pushed Rose Bud’s lead to six with two from the line but Charleston continued to scrap as Meador made two free throws and Eric Johnsey canned a 3-pointer, leaving the Ramblers with an 86-85 lead.
After Smith made one from the line with 1:10 remaining, Meador tied the game with a tough driving bank.
But Pio drove the right baseline and finished with a lay-up in heavy traffic, plus the contact. Pio completed the 3-point play and the Ramblers came up with two defensive stops before Smith sealed the game with a free throw.
Brown led Charleston with 20 points, Shelby added 18, Davis had 15, Meador and Ackers each totaled 11 and Marry chipped in nine.
Smith led Rose Bud with a game-high 29 points, Pio followed with 27, Prothro had 20 and Leach finished with 13.