SPARKILL, N.Y. -- Junior point guard Bol Akot had a career day for Post University Men's Basketball, going for 41 points on 11-of-18 shooting with 19-of-24 free throws made, breaking the single-game point record set by DJ Frenchette of 36 points last season. In the biggest shot of his young Eagles career, Akot buried a mid-range jumper against St. Thomas Aquinas in overtime at the St. Thomas Aquinas Classic with two seconds left, giving Post a 109-107 victory to move to 4-0 to start the year. 

THE BASICS

Post University 109, St. Thomas Aquinas College 107 (OT)

Post University (4-0)

St. Thomas Aquinas College (2-1)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Akot would score 17 of his 41 points in the first half alone, going only 4-for-6 from the field by making 9-of-11 shots from the charity stripe while freshman point guard Ta'Quan Williams scored nine points, making three shots from long range on four attempts. However, the Eagles would only lead by one going into the half, 51-50. The Spartans would find a way to break up the full court press employed by Head Coach Marc Kuntz, scoring 11 of the first 13 points to take an 11-2 lead in just over three minutes. 

Junior forward Kyle Alcy's layup later on with 12:58 left in the first half brought the Eagles even at 17 all and as the half would progress, it would be Post who built up a strong double-digit lead after an Alcy layup with 5:39 remaining put them ahead, 38-28, and would lead by as many as 11 points before the Spartans made a late run. Trailing by eight with 2:29 left, St. Thomas Aquinas used a 9-0 run to regain the lead briefly before Akot's two free throws gave Post the lead back into the half.

Another highly offensive half of basketball saw both teams trading baskets throughout the 20 minute period with neither letting the other out of their sight. Sophomore guard Rich Smith's three for the Spartans gave them a five-point lead, their largest of the half, with 8:26 remaining in regulation before two Akot free throws and a 6-0 run by junior forward Deng Deang put the Eagles back ahead, 78-75.

Leading by six with 1:05 left, five missed free throws would come back to haunt Post as the Spartans made the most of their second and third chance rebounds on offense to make three field goals and hit two free throws to get within two, 97-95. Akot made one his two free throws with three seconds left to put the Eagles ahead by three, but sophomore guard Ethan Millirons' prayer from half court was answered to send the game to overtime. 

Once more, missed free throws and then turnovers would doom Post down the stretch of the overtime period as a turnover junior point guard Robert Sanders and missed free throw by him as well would allow the Spartans a chance to tie. With nine seconds left they would do just that as sophomore forward Javion Patterson got an and-one opportunity which he converted on to make it 107-107. That was when Akot went to work and reached the 41-point mark with his jumper to give Post the lead with two seconds left before the half court heave for the Spartans was wide and the Eagles moved to 4-0 with the 109-107 win. 
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Bol Akot's 41 points breaks the single-game record for most points in a contest, set by D.J. Frenchette last season with 36 points 
• Post University went 31-for-39 (79.5%) from the free throw line while St. Thomas Aquinas was 31-for-36 (86.1%)
• Four Eagles finished in double figures as Robert Sanders scored 17 points, Deng Deang scored 15 points, and Ta'Quan Williams 13 points alongside Bol Akot's 41-point performance 
• Post University is 4-0 to start the year for first time since the 2019-20 season and second time in program history

WHO'S NEXT
Post University closes out the St. Thomas Aquinas College Classic on Sunday with a matchup against Mercy College scheduled for 3:30 PM. The Eagles are 2-1 all-time against the Mavericks with wins in each of the last two games, 99-77 and 73-62 during the 2021-22 and 2019-20 seasons respectively.