Virginia Wesleyan and Whitworth traded the lead like Topps Classic cards, extending their NCAA III Tournament third round game into overtime before Wesleyan emerged, or maybe escaped, with a 74-71 win Friday night in Williams Center at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in Whitewater, Wisconsin.  Wesleyan, 27-3, advances to face the winner of Friday's second game between UW-Whitewater and Wheaton College in a fourth round game in Whitewater Saturday night at 7:00.

The teams exchanged the lead six times in the first half, a preview of what would follow.  No matter which team would edge ahead, the other stayed as close as any NASCAR draft.  The Marlins' largest lead was six, 27-21 on Donald Vaughn's free throw with 5:03 left in the half.  Whitworth managed to edge in front by three once, 16-13 at the 11:13 mark.

The largest lead of the second half was also six points, this time by Whitworth on Jack Loofburrow's three with 9:16 left in the half.  That lead lasted less than three minutes.

Felix Friedt's two free throws with 2:49 left put Whitworth ahead 59-58.  Dustin McConnell followed up with a layup to put the Pirates in front 61-58 at 1:44.  Rakeem Davis made the second of two free throws to pull VW within 61-59 with 40 seconds left, and Chris Teasley went 2x2 at the line with 0:21 remaining to knot the game at 61 and send the game into overtime.

The extra period followed the pattern set in regulation with seven lead changes in the five minutes.  Even using the word "lead" was precarious.  DJ Woodmore's jumper with 1:23 put Wesleyan in front 68-67.  Felix Friedt responded for Whitworth with a layupat 0:51 to put them in front 69-68.  Back to VW, and a Donald Vaughn jumper for a 70-69 lead at 0:31.  Whitworth replied with a Wade Gebbers layup to pull in front 71-70 with 0:19 on the clock.  And it was Teasley time again, with the junior guard hitting a jumper to make it 72-71 Wesleyan with ten seconds left.  Wesleyan forced a Pirate turnover with three seconds left, and Whitworth fouled, sending Woodmore to the line where he hit the final two points of the game.

Teasley led all scorers with 27 points, with Vaughn adding 20 and Woodmore 16 for Virginia Wesleyan.  Davis led the Marlins with eight rebounds.  Friedt notched a double double for Whitworth, with 25 points and a game high ten rebounds.  Loofburrow added 13, Gebbers 12 and Idris Lasisi 11 in support of Friedt. 

Whitworth ends the season with a record of 26-4.