COLORADO SPRINGS, CO-The University of St. Thomas men's basketball team traveled to Colorado Springs to take on Colorado College and left with an 84–80 overtime victory, extending the Celts' winning streak to four consecutive games.

St. Thomas set the tone early following the opening tip, striking first with a strong defensive rebound by Reyce Allen that led to a paint jumper from Charles Gitonga, assisted by Angel Johnson. Colorado College responded with a scoring run, but the Celts answered as Nathan Kongolo knocked down a three-pointer off a Corey Thompson assist. Thompson followed with a fastbreak layup after a steal to pull UST back into action at 8–7 with 14:30 remaining in the half. The teams traded baskets as the pace increased, and UST tied the game at 17–17 after a defensive rebound by Brennan Webb set up a jumper from Kongolo. Continued scoring from Kongolo and Thompson briefly pushed the Celts ahead, but the Tigers capitalized at the free-throw line to regain the lead, making it 22–21 with five minutes left. A layup from Allen, assisted by Kongolo, gave UST a one-point edge before Colorado College responded with another run to take a 30–23 advantage. A late free throw by Nicholas Buffalo closed the scoring for the Celts as they headed into halftime trailing 32–27.

UST came out off the break with renewed energy, opening the half with a layup from Gitonga assisted by Thompson. Strong contributions from Garrett Rodgers helped fuel an early run as the Celts surged ahead 35–32. The teams once again exchanged points, with Colorado briefly reclaiming the lead at 48–47 following a foul. Rodgers answered with a timely three-pointer, and the Celts continued to capitalize at the free-throw line. Key free throws from Thompson and Allen, along with a pair from Gitonga, pushed UST ahead 63–59 with four minutes remaining. Allen then delivered six consecutive points to maintain the lead as the Celts held a 69–65 advantage late. Colorado College responded in the final seconds, tying the game at 69–69 and forcing overtime on the teams.

With five extra minutes on the clock, the Celts seized control. Thompson opened overtime by scoring both free throws to give UST a 71–69 lead. Buffalo and Rodgers followed with clutch baskets to keep the momentum going as the Celts extended their advantage to 80–78. After a timeout with 39 seconds remaining, UST tightened defensively and limited the Tigers to just one more score. Thompson and Buffalo calmly locked down late free throws to secure the 84–80 overtime victory.
 
Stats Leaders
Corey Thompson led the Celts with 18 points, including 9-of-11 shooting from the free-throw line, while adding seven steals and five assists in an all-around performance. Garrett Rodgers followed with 17 points and six rebounds, while Reyce Allen contributed 15 points and shot a perfect 3-for-3 from the line. Nicholas Buffalo added key free throws too, finishing 6-of-7 overall.

Up Next:
The Celts return to action looking to extend their winning streak as they continue their road stretch into tournament play located in San Antonio, TX. The games are set to take place starting on Saturday, Dec. 20th, as they first face Marietta College @11:00 AM. Game details and updates will be available at ustcelts.com, and fans can follow along on Instagram at @ustmbasketball.