(ABERDEEN, S.D.) At the prestigious Small College Basketball Champions Classic, No. 20 PLNU Men's Basketball hoped to expand its brand recognition to the rest of the country.
 
Despite a tough overtime loss to No. 8 Minnesota Duluth on Friday, 85-89, the Sea Lions proved they belong among the best teams in NCAA Division II.
 
Trailing by double digits with less than six minutes remaining in the second half, Point Loma fought back to send the game to overtime after Kaden Anderson sank three free throws with seven seconds remaining.
 
Then in the extra period, UMD led by as many as nine before Brian Goracke's 3-pointer got PLNU to within one with 12 seconds left. But the Bulldogs made their free throws in the final seconds to hold on for the win.
 
"I'm really proud of the way our guys battled tonight," Head Coach Matt Logie said. "You've got to credit Duluth. They are a highly connected and experienced group that is one of the best teams in the country. They are well-coached and play winning basketball."
 
Anderson drained a triple on PLNU's first possession of the game to give the Sea Lions an early lead in a back-and-forth first half that saw five lead changes and the scored tied on seven occasions.
 
Wes Slajchert's 3-pointer leveled the score at 28 apiece with 6:40 to play in the first, before UMD went on a little run to lead by as many as seven. Luke Haupt's layup in the final seconds of the opening half then cut PLNU's halftime deficit to five.
 
"I thought in the first half they asserted themselves more than we did and we unfortunately just missed some shots and opportunities that could've changed the scope of the game a bit," Logie said.
 
A pair of Anderson free throws a couple minutes into the second half got the Sea Lions a point closer, only for the Bulldogs to begin pulling away by as many as 14.
 
Then with Point Loma trailing by 12 with 6:15 remaining, 54-66, PLNU began its comeback bid.
 
Haupt went on a personal 6-0 run, before an Anderson triple reduced the deficit to five. Three Anderson free throws then pulled the Sea Lions to within two, serving as a sneak preview to what would transpire a few minutes later.
 
After Minnesota Duluth went back up by five, Haupt's jumper made it a one-possession game with under a minute to play. Point Loma then got a defensive stop before Anderson was fouled on a 3-point attempt with seven seconds remaining.
 
Anderson proceeded to calmly make all three free throws, putting him at a perfect 10-10 from the charity stripe on the night, to tie the game at 72-all.
 

Kaden Anderson knocks down all three free throws with 4.7 second remaining to tie it up at 72 between Point Loma Nazarene and MN Duluth. @PLNUSeaLions @UMDBulldogMBB

— Small College Basketball (@smcollegehoops) November 19, 2022

 
The Sea Lions then forced an errant 3 in the closing seconds, as an extra five minutes was needed to settle this top-20 matchup.
 

In the final game of the first night of the Small College Basketball Champions Classic, we're heading to overtime between Point Loma Nazarene and MN Duluth. Fantastic game.....

— Small College Basketball (@smcollegehoops) November 19, 2022

 
With the momentum seemingly all in PLNU's favor, UMD turned the tide by scoring on its first three possessions of overtime while preventing the Sea Lions from scoring on either of their first two.
 
The Bulldogs then extended their overtime advantage to as many as nine with 1:48 to go, before Haupt's jumper preceded his steal and fastbreak layup that sparked a late Sea Lion run.
 
Shamrock Campbell's basket then got PLNU to within three before a Duluth free throw made it a two-possession game. Goracke then responded quickly by banking home a triple to close the gap to one with 12 seconds to play, before the Sea Lions were forced to play the fouling game.
 

What an incredible game..... Point Loma banks a 3 with 11.3 remaining to cut it to 85-84 in OT....

— Small College Basketball (@smcollegehoops) November 19, 2022

 
After the Bulldogs made both of theirs, they were smart to foul Point Loma instead of letting the Sea Lions attempt a game-tying 3. PLNU missed the first and made the second before UMD made both of theirs just moments later to finally close out a resilient Sea Lion squad.
 
Haupt finished just a few assists shy of a triple-double, posting a stat line of 25 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Anderson reached the 20-point threshold for the fourth-straight game, while Tobin Karlberg (14 points) scored in double figures for the second-consecutive contest.
 
PLNU's three-leading scorers all fouled out at various points in the overtime period, making the near comeback all the more impressive.
 
"All of the guys stayed in the fight for 45 minutes and gave us a chance at the end," Logie said.
 
After suffering its first loss of the season, Point Loma (3-1 overall) has a quick turnaround before facing off with tournament host Northern State, who is receiving votes in the NABC Coaches Poll.
 
The Sea Lions and Wolves are set to tip-off on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT / 4 p.m. PT.