Jerel Blocker’s 34 points and 10 rebounds looked like it might be enough for Lee University (4-2, 0-1) on Thursday night, but his effort was trumped by that of Marquise Wright of Shorter College (6-0, 1-0).

Wright posted a double-double as well, scoring 24 points and grabbing 22 boards for the Hawks in the game, a game which Shorter won on their home court, 92-85 in triple-overtime.

“We had our chances to win the game in the first two overtimes,” said Coach Tommy Brown. “The ball just wouldn’t go in, sometimes that just happens.”

Larriques Cunningham was the only other Flame in double figures, with 21 points, and Desmond Blue and Teddrick Hardy each joined Blocker with 10 rebounds.

Shorter held a nine point lead with 10:27 to play, but the Flames responded with a 15-6 run to tie the game at 57 with 5:19 left in regulation. The teams each scored five points in the waning moments, and Lee found themselves headed to overtime for the third time this year, with the score knotted at 62 after 40 minutes of play.

“Our kids really fought hard,” Brown noted. “We played hard, we fought hard, we got better, and we did the things we needed to do, especially in that second half.”

The Flames scored four of the first six points in the first overtime, but they were unable to put the game away, and with 32 seconds left, Shorter’s Ziyadah Carter hit a pair of free throws to tie the game and send it into a second extra session.

In the second overtime, it again looked like the Flames had the game in hand, when Blocker gave Lee a 76-71 lead with 1:59 left. However, missed field goals on the Flames’ end of the court again cost them, as Shorter was able to get a 3-pointer from Wright and a put-back from Carter to force a third overtime.

Shorter used the momentum to score the first nine points of the third extra session, eventually pulling away to the 92-85 win.

Coach Brown expressed in the postgame that one area of difference in the game, was at the foul line. “They shot 33 free throws, and we shot 13,” he explained. “I have never been in a triple overtime game and not gotten into the double-bonus before.”

Brown’s team now has to regroup and get ready for a difficult Berry College (1-0) on Saturday afternoon.

“We allowed the Temple loss to linger a little bit in a similar situation,” said Brown, “and it definitely affected us in the Carver game. We can’t let that happen this time, because Berry is a very tough opponent.”

The game will be played in Mt. Berry, Ga., and tip-off is slated for 2 p.m.