Sneaky Herd Steal OT Win

OSHKOSH, WI – Two-Way guard Lindell Wigginton took over late in the game and led the Wisconsin Herd to a come-from-behind overtime victory over the Maine Celtics, 118-116. 

Scottie Lindsey led Maine (17-12) with 21 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Two-Way big Mfiondu Kabengele turned in 22 points and 13 rebounds. Kamar Baldwin had 18 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists. Marvin Smith Jr. tallied 15 points and 12 rebounds for his first double-double of the season and Luka Šamanić logged 13 and 11 for his 22^nd double-double. Eric Demers and Tony Snell each had nine points. 

Wigginton put up 35 points, four rebounds and eight assists for Wisconsin (10-19). Milwaukee Bucks assignee MarJon Beauchamp added 21 points and 12 rebounds and Two-Way guard A.J. Green totaled 20 points, six boards and five assists. Alex Antetokounmpo and Rob Edwards both scored nine points. 

Lindsey buried a pair of threes to get the Celtics off and running and a Bass layup got the Herd on the board in a low-scoring start. Back-and-forth runs exchanged once the offenses settled in; Smith hit a couple threes for Maine but Beauchamp’s long-two capped off a push that got Wisconsin back in front. Edwards hit two threes, Elijah Hughes threw one down on the break and Iverson Molinar finished a buzzer-beating layup, highlighting a 13-3 Herd run to close the first that put them ahead 35-22. 

Maine flipped the script immediately to open the second. Demers sank a pair of triples and Lindsey converted an and-one to help kickstart an 18-0 run to open the quarter for Maine as they stormed back in front – the Celtics’ offense was firing on all cylinders in a 35-point second quarter, scoring inside and out, controlling the tempo and crashing the offensive glass. The Herd scored eight unanswered to regain the lead, but the Celtics fired right back with an 11-4 run into the locker room. At the half, Maine held a 57-51 advantage. 

After an evenly matched start to the third quarter, Wigginton and Beauchamp hit consecutive threes to push Wisconsin back in front by one, 63-62. Beauchamp hit another from deep as the Herd went up by as much as six, but Maine kept working the ball around the perimeter and finding open cutters at the rim and got back on track with Kabengele’s and-one circus layup. Threes from Smith and Baldwin powered another late-quarter surge as Maine outscored Wisconsin 7-2 in the closing minutes to take an 84-77 lead heading into the fourth. 

Maine jumped on Wisconsin early in the fourth, outscoring them 17-9 in the first five minutes to give themselves a 15-point lead, 101-86. Kabengele fouled out of the game with just over five minutes remaining, and from that point onward, everything went towards the Herd; Wigginton took over, generating easy transition finishes for Bass off steals near halfcourt as Wisconsin pulled within single digits. Lindsey hit a trey to quell the run, but Wigginton answered right back with a three of his own. Maine got the lead back out to seven with 1:19 to go, but Wigginton scored nine of the Herd’s last 11 as they charged back to tie the game at 111 and force a second-straight overtime. 

After the Celtics claimed an overtime victory on Wednesday, it was Wisconsin’s turn this time around. Maine got ahead 115-113 in the untimed period, but Beauchamp sank a clutch three-ball to give the Herd the lead and all the momentum. In a slow-paced, grinding overtime, it was fitting that Bass’ putback off a hard-fought offensive board was the game-winner as the Herd completed the comeback. 

The Celtics head to Chicago for a two-game set with the Windy City Bulls before returning home to the Expo to round out the regular season against the Westchester Knicks.