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EDINBURG – Junior Shaquille Boga nailed a three-pointer with 18.8 seconds left in overtime to propel the University of Texas-Pan American Broncs men's basketball team past the Chicago State University Cougars 71-68 on Thursday at the UTPA Fieldhouse.
 
The win is the Broncs' (7-19, 3-8 Western Athletic Conference) first at home in WAC play. It snaps a five-game losing streak and a six-game home losing streak. The win also gives the Broncs a season sweep of the Cougars (10-13, 5-4 WAC).
 
The shot was set-up by strong passing. Boga started the play by passing the ball to his right to freshman Alex Majewski, who sent the ball to his right to graduate student Javorn Farrell. Farrell drew a double-team in the corner, and he sent the ball to sophomore Shaquille Hines at the right elbow who took one dribble towards the basket. As the defense collapsed on him, Hines turned around and passed to Majewski at the top of the key, who immediately sent the ball to a wide-open Boga on the left wing.
 
On the Cougars' ensuing possession, they struggled to get the ball much beyond half court with time ticking down. A double-team of Boga and Hines forced Clarke Rosenberg to pick up his dribble with 6.5 seconds left. He gave the ball to Quinton Pippen moving left-to-right, but Hines switched to Pippen, who launched a contested NBA three from the top of the key, which hit off the front-right of the rim as the buzzer sounded.
 
Boga finished with 16 points and four assists. Farrell also scored 16 points, raising his career total to 997, with seven rebounds and four assists. Senior Josh Cleveland scored a season-high 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting, plus 5-of-6 from the line, with nine rebounds and two blocks. Majewski finished with 11 points.
 
Pippen led the Cougars with 19 points while hitting four three-pointers, three of which were from beyond the NBA arc, with five rebounds, five assists and three steals. Rahjan Muhammad scored 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Nate Duhon scored 10 points with five rebounds and three steals.
 
The Cougars led 8-5 in the opening minutes, but a Farrell three sparked an 8-0 run that saw the Broncs go up 16-8 with 14:37 remaining in the first half.
 
The Cougars used a 13-3 run to pull within 19-18 on a Muhammad layup before tying the game at 23-23 on a Gray three at the 6:49 mark
 
Boga hit a jumper, freshman LJ McIntosh made a three, Majewski knocked down a layup and Cleveland hit a pair of free throws as the Broncs took their largest lead at 32-23 with 1:48 to go.
 
The Cougars scored the final seven points of the half as part of a 15-2 run, capped by a Muhammad layup early in the second half, to take a 38-34 lead.
 
The game stayed within one or two possessions from there, with the Cougars taking their largest lead at 61-56 on a Muhammad fast break layup with 2:23 left in regulation.
 
Farrell responded with a three and Hines made a pair of free throws to force overtime.
 
Matt Ross opened overtime with a layup, but Majewski answered with a three, and the Broncs never trailed again.
 
The Broncs are back in action on Saturday at 7 p.m. when they host Kansas City for the annual homecoming game. The pregame tailgate party begins in the UTPA Fieldhouse parking lot at 3 p.m.

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