CANTON, Mo. – The Ottawa University men's basketball team won its third straight game, defeating Culver-Stockton College on a game-winner by Deondre Buggage, 79-77 on Wednesday night.

Ottawa trailed Culver-Stockton 13-11 at the start of the first half. A 3-pt play by Najee Jones gave OU a 14-13 lead with 11:41 left in the half. Free throws by Jones and a basket from Jayden Hibbitt pushed the Brave lead to 18-13.

The Wildcats responded with a 7-2 run, tying the game at 20 all with 8:45 remaining in the first half. OU scored the next six points, taking a 26-20 lead on a Buggage basket. A 3-pt play by Buggage gave Ottawa its largest lead of the half, 36-28, with 1:49 on the clock. Culver-Stockton scored the next basket to cut OU's lead to 36-30. After a defensive stop by the Braves, Ottawa ran down the clock and Buggage hit a jumper at the buzzer, giving OU a 38-30 lead at the half.

OU pushed its lead to double digits, 45-32, on two free throws by Keith Robinson with 18:02 remaining in the second half. The Braves increased their lead to 17 points, 55-38, on a three by AJ Hof with 13:13 on the clock.

Culver-Stockton chipped away at the OU lead, putting together a 34-17 run to tie the game at 72 all with 2:54 remaining in regulation. Neither team scored for the next minute. Hibbitt broke the cold spell with a basket at 1:49 to give the Braves a 74-72 lead.

Ottawa's lead didn't last long. The Wildcats took advantage of a Brave turnover and tied the game, 74-74, with 1:08 left in the contest. After a timeout by the Braves, Ottawa retook the lead on a 3-pt field goal by Keith Robinson, 77-74, with 43 seconds on the clock.

Culver-Stockton tied the game at 77 all on its next offensive possession, a 3-pt play by Connor Davis with 32 seconds left in the contest. Ottawa held for the final shot, running the clock down to 10 seconds and giving Buggage the ball.  Robinson came and set a screen. Buggage attacked his defender, causing the player to fall. Buggage stopped at the top of the key and nailed the jumper with 1.8 seconds on the clock. CSC launched the ball from just beyond half-court. The attempt was short, and OU took the 79-77 victory.

Inside the Box Score

• Ottawa shot 46.2 percent from the floor, 31 percent from behind the 3-pt line, and 76.9 percent from the free throw line.
• OU had four players in double figures, led by Deondre Buggage's 22 points. He had a team-high eight rebounds, three assists, one block, and three steals.
• Najee Jones, Keith Robinson, and Jayden Hibbitt had 16 points apiece.
• Jones led OU with four assists.

Who is Next
Ottawa (4-1) returns to the court on Tuesday, Nov. 11 in an exhibition game against Washburn University in Topeka, Kan. Tip off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.