DALLAS, TX-- The Dallas Christian College men's basketball team pushed Ecclesia to overtime in a high energy, wire-to-wire game where the Royals outlasted the Crusaders in overtime to secure an 85-79 victory on Friday afternoon.

The Crusaders started the first half off strong and were able to build a 9 point lead after one half of play. In the first half, DCC shot 15-24 (62%) from the field, 1-5 (20%) from the three-point line, and 11-16 (68%) from the free-throw line. In the second half, Ecclesia built a 70-60 lead after trailing by double-digits in the first half. Jalen Perez had an electrifying four point play to make it a 6 point game with 2 minutes left. DCC continued to battle hard down the stretch to put itself in position to tie the game with 32 seconds left.

After a timeout, Taro Ford curled around a screen and stepped into a contested three-pointer with confidence and buried it to tie the game with 10 seconds left in the game. The Royals were not able to hit the basket as time expired, sending the game to overtime. 

To start overtime, Taro Ford knocked down his second straight three-pointer to give the Crusaders a 3 point lead. The Royals overcame the deficit and held on to win 85-79 in a fierce overtime battle. 

The Crusaders shot 28-62 (45%) from the field, 5-20 (25%) from the three-point line, and 18-28 (64%) from the free-throw line. DCC had 7 second-chance points, and 26 bench points. Tilly Hobson had 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Tyjuan Battles had 13 points, 3 assists, and 6 rebounds. Jairus Allen notched a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Jalen Perez was the fourth Crusader in double digits with 11 points and 4 assists. The Crusaders will be on the road at Champion Christian College on January 10.