Flint - Shooting under 50% from the free throw line is a good way to make it hard for yourself to pull out Ws.  Shooting that poorly against a good team makes it even worse.  It's a different story however, when you have one of the best teams in the state with the ability to overcome a bad showing at the stripe.
The Knights saw a double digit lead in the third quarter evaporate to one by the time it was over.  In the fourth, they surrendered the lead for the first time since early in the second.  Those obstacles made it even that much more rewarding to pull out the victory in overtime. 

Romulus got things going in a hurry.  #20 for the Eagles scored the game's first 6 points, forcing Knight's Head Coach Jeff Whiteley to call a timeout and hopefully slow the tide.  It worked, as the Knight stormed to a 13-3 run to jump ahead 13-9, 6 of those points by Tyrone Ward.  Erving McFadden added a bucket and Anthony Crater two consecutive baskets to end the first quarter with a 19-16 score, in favor of the Knights.  #20 for Romulus finished the quarter with half of his team's points.

The lead stretched to 6 at the break, 38-32 but it wasn't a one man show for either team.  For the Knights, Crater was having a solid game but so were McFadden, Ward, Derrick Smith and Leviante Davis.  Davis wasn't pouring in a lot of points but he was making his presence felt underneath with crucial boards and blocks.  Martell Anderson, Antoine James and Devin Searcy led the way for the Eagles in the 2nd quarter. 

The third quarter was the wildest of them all and couldn't have had more of a polar opposite from the beginning of the quarter to the end.  After a Desmond Robertson basket early in the third, the Knights had pushed the lead out to 11 at 45-34.  That's when Romulus caught fire from behind the arch, hitting 4 3 pointers, 2 by McMillan and 1 by Rod Walker and Dominique Buckley a piece.  With Mario Crawford's basket, just before the quarter had ended, the Eagles had pulled to within 1.  Romulus did a great job defensively of pressuring the Knights into mistakes.  The Knights were benefited by getting into the bonus with 2 and a half minutes to play in the 3rd but couldn't convert on many of the attempts to make good on the opportunity.  Crater also had been limited to 3 points which he got on a three pointer to open the 3rd.

Southwestern spent most of the 4th quarter at the stripe and most of the 4th quarter watching the ball bounce out of the hoop.  Walker on the other side, put home 10 points, that included two 3 balls that put Romulus up both times, the last, putting them up by 1 at 66-65.  The Knights fought right back as McFadden came through again.  Erving went for three points the old fashioned way by making a basket, getting fouled and then converting on the free throw.   Down by two, the Eagles McMillan hit two clutch free throws that eventually sent the game into overtime, knotted up at 68.  The game was almost ended in dramatic fashion however.  The Knights put the ball in the hands of Crater as time ran down.  Crater drove to the hoop and put one off the rim.  Leviante Davis tried to tip the ball back in as did 2 other Knights.  They managed to tap it back to Erik Fields who drained the shot, unfortunately it was a few tenths of a second late, as the officials immediately waved it off as the team rushed the court.   With the first four quarters being such a treat, it was hard to imagine that the extra period could be any better. 

Romulus jumped out to a 3 point lead early in the extra period.  Crater cut the lead to 1 on a layup.  The Knights were able to hold on the other end and Tyrone Ward added the next three points for S.W.A., 1 on a basket the other making 1 of 2 from the line.  Down three, Dominique Buckley brought his back to within 1 point, but that was the last time Romulus would put the ball through the cylinder.  Up 75-74, Crater went to the line 4 straight times and nailed them all, icing the win 79-74 for the undefeated Knights.  It was an early Christmas present for all those who attended, well at least for the Knight fans and the fans that made the trip expecting a good game.  For the Eagles, it may have been a lump of coal, but it was a game in which they can hold their heads high for not falling behind too far in the third and clawing their way back.  Their three point shooting was a big factor and should be a big plus for them as the season moves on.  The Knights on the other hand, played a good game but not their best.  Take away a few of the turnovers and the bad free throw shooting and you indeed have one of the State's best.  Right now, the Knights look to be headed on a collision course with Flint rival Powers for the right to represent the city deep into the playoffs.

The Knights have a week off before squaring off in the Holiday Hoops Classic at the Breslin with state power Orchard Lake St. Mary on the 29th.  A week later comes the anticipated showdown with Arthur Hill on the 5th at S.W.A.