PORT HURON, Mich. – Clutch doesn't begin to describe what redshirt freshman guard Josh Hines (Macomb, Mich./Dakota/U-Indy) did down the stretch in today's contest. Hines drained a game-tying 3-pointer as time expired and continued his takeover in overtime to help propel No. 6 Macomb Men's Basketball to an 85-81 road win over the 13^th ranked SC4 Skippers in Port Huron on Saturday (Feb. 17). The thrilling win lifted the Monarchs to 21-3 overall and 10-1 in the MCCAA Eastern Conference. The Skippers fell to 19-6 overall and 8-3 in the conference.

Before hitting his three as time expired to force overtime, Hines buried a triple with 3.6 seconds left to help keep the Monarchs in the contest. Hines went on to dominate the overtime period and nearly outscored the host Skippers on his own in the extra frame on his way to tallying 16 of his team-high 20 points over the final five minutes and three seconds of action.

The Monarchs owned a seven-point halftime edge, 35-28, and led for 36:06 of game action before the Skippers made a late run to go in front. Cue the Hines' heroics from there as the redshirt freshman guard brought the Monarchs back from a six-point deficit in the waning seconds to force overtime. The heroics carried over into overtime as Hines recorded nine points in the five minute period to help lift the Monarchs to the ranked road win.

The Monarchs battled foul trouble throughout and made 13-of-15 free throw attempts. The Skippers shot 20 more free throws than the Monarchs, going 28-of-35 from the charity stripe.

The thrilling overtime victory gives the Monarchs a two-game lead with three to play in the MCCAA East. At 10-1 in league play, the Monarchs are two games clear of the Skippers (8-3) and Henry Ford Hawks (8-3). A win Wednesday (Feb. 21) at Oakland Community College will clinch a share of the MCCAA East crown, while two more wins will secure an outright championship.

Hines paced the Monarchs with 20 points (5 3PM) and added five rebounds and was followed by three others in double figures. Tymias Williams (Macomb, Mich./Dakota) checked in with 16 points (2 3PM) and nine rebounds, Parker Day (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage/GVSU) was huge throughout with 13 points, nine rebounds and six assists and Juwan Maxey (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance) tallied 11 points to accompany six rebounds and three assists.

DaMaryon Fishburn (Detroit, Mich./Trillium Academy) and Kyle Millender (Detroit, Mich./DEPSA) had seven points each while Nate Brown (Flint, Mich./Davison) and Jotham Nweke (Oak Park, Mich./Loyola) recorded five points each.

The Monarchs outrebounded the Skippers, 46-39, to improve to 21-0 when outrebounding the competition this season.