Staff report

ROCK HILL, S.C. — Catawba’s men’s basketball team shot a chilly 32 percent on Friday and was downright awful on 3-pointers, but defense still wins championships.

The third-seeded Indians shrugged off all the misses. They ignored a clanging, 3-for-24 effort from 3 at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center, kept rebounding and defending and won the South Atlantic Conference Tournament title game. The final was 61-60 in overtime, with the Indians outlasting top-seeded, long-time nemesis Lincoln Memorial.

The key for the Indians was a humongous 25-11 edge in the turnover battle.

Catawba (22-5) won on the third night of a back-to-back-to-back tournament grind and earned the league’s automatic bid to the Southeast Regional. LMU could still be an at-large team.

Lincoln Memorial (24-8) led 28-21 at halftime.

Catawba nearly won the game in regulation and led by three after Peyton Gerald made a free throw with 15 seconds left, but LMU’s Wes Enis made a 3-pointer to force overtime.

Shad Thomas made what proved to be decisive free throws for the Indians with 1:04 left. DeAngelo Epps blocked a layup with 34 seconds left.

LMU again had the last shot, but this one missed.

Kaleb Wallace scored 14 off the bench to lead the Indians. Javeon Jones scored 11.

Catawba     21    34   6   — 61

LMU           28     27  5    — 60

CATAWBA — Wallace 14, Jones 11, Robinson 9, Epps 8, Gerald 8, Nelson 4, Tinsley 4, Thomas 2, McDuffie 1.