RIO GRANDE, Ohio — An 11-6 run in overtime allowed the South Gallia boys basketball program to begin the Larry Howell era on good note Friday night following a 46-41 victory over Ohio Valley Christian in a non-conference matchup at Newt Oliver Arena on the campus of the University of Rio Grande.

The Rebels (1-0) led 12-7, 20-13 and 25-19 after each of the first three quarters of play, but the Defenders (3-1) rallied with a 16-10 surge in the fourth to pull the game even at 35-all through the end of regulation.

South Gallia had four different players contribute to the scoring column in the extra session — compared to just two OVCS players in overtime — which ultimately allowed SGHS to pull away for the five-point decision.

Brayden Greer paced the Rebels with 17 points, followed by Kody Lambert and Ethan Swain with seven markers apiece. Michael Wheeler was next with six points, while Clifford Stapleton and C.J. Johnston each chipped in four markers. Trevor Slone rounded out the winning score with one point.

T.G. Miller led the Defenders with a game-high 23 points before fouling out late in the contest. Chance Burleson was next with 10 points, followed by Richard Bowman with four markers. Marshall Hood and Phil Hollingshead also added two points apiece to the losing effort.

The Rebels were 11-of-19 at the free throw line for 58 percent, while Ohio Valley Christian went 7-of-18 at the charity stripe for 39 percent. South Gallia made one more field goal than OVCS (15-14), but SGHS also had a 5-0 edge from three-point territory.