On Jan. 20, a fair number of basketball fans attended the rescheduled game against East Georgia and watched the Chargers pull out a thrilling 79-78 overtime win.

Both teams started evenly, playing physical defense for the first ten minutes and making it tough for the opposing offense to establish a rhythm. After Cam Baldwin’s dunk tied the game at 29-29, the Chargers didn’t give up a single point for the rest of the half, finishing with a 10-point lead.

Speaking of adjusting to new roles, star guard Jay’Quan Nelson shined as a spark plug off the bench, scoring 13 points in the first half to lead the team.

When asked how this new responsibility affected him, Nelson embraced the unfamiliar role as a challenge. “Coach putting me on the bench to get the bench involved is something new to me, but I know I’m somebody who can adjust to it, so it might just be my new role,” Nelson said.

The second half reinforced the idea that bringing Nelson off the bench was the right move. He continued to lead the team in scoring and made shots in every situation. As East Georgia tried to rally, Nelson sank three-pointer after three-pointer to keep the Chargers ahead, even converting a four-point play.

Despite Nelson’s heroic effort, including a three-pointer to put the Chargers ahead by one, East Georgia tied the game at the last second and sent the game into overtime.

The atmosphere in the gym was intense as the Chargers took the court for the five-minute overtime, but ​​their stout defense held firm while Nelson continued to score.

The defensive effort peaked with a crucial stop by Jalen French, whose defensive pressure forced an East Georgia player to turn the ball over due to traveling, keeping Highlands ahead by four with less than a minute remaining.

Closing out a one-point win in overtime defined clutch, and Coach Merritt was clearly proud of how his players handled the pressure, grinning from ear to ear.

Beyond Nelson, Merritt also highlighted Marquin ‘Munch’ Thompson’s performance as a starter. Thompson finished with 17 points, leading the starters in scoring while shooting 60% overall, 50% from three-point range (2-for-4), and a perfect 3-for-3 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed five rebounds.

Off the bench, freshman Jordan Johnson made a key impact, shooting 5-for-7 from the field and 3-for-3 from deep.

After the game, Nelson credited his performance to hard work and dedication. “When you’re in the gym putting in shots for hours and hours, it most definitely translates to the game to give you the utmost confidence,” Nelson said.