Pittsburg boys basketball erased a seven-point deficit and forced overtime Friday night against visiting Coffeyville before taking a heartbreaking 53-52 loss in Southeast Kansas League action.

The Purple Dragons lost their seventh game in a row and dropped to 6-11 on the season and 3-4 in SEK play. They last won Jan. 9 with a 52-50 overtime victory over Chanute.

Pittsburg opened league play Dec. 16 with a 66-45 win over Coffeyville. The Golden Tornado also ended a four-game losing streak with the overtime victory Friday.

Pittsburg junior guard Jamarcus Davis virtually willed the Dragons into overtime with his performance in the second half, especially the fourth quarter. Davis scored 19 of his game-high 23 points after halftime and he scored all 13 Dragon points in the fourth.

Davis scored nine unanswered to start the fourth and give the Dragons their first lead of the game at 46-44. Later on, Davis hit a tying 3-point basket and his split at the stripe put Pittsburg ahead with 49.8 seconds remaining in regulation.

Davis did not score in overtime.

Senior guard and homecoming king candidate Kadin Navaratnam scored all 12 of his points in the first half; Navaratnam made four 3-point shots, positive signs for a player who has been struggling with making perimeter shots since that Chanute win nearly a month ago.

Landyn Jessee added eight points for the Dragon attack, all eight after halftime and the Dragons' only two points in overtime.

Coffeyville senior K'Shon Feeling's two free throws with 1:21 remaining in overtime turned out to be the winning points. Originally, junior Kaylan Austin headed to the line to shoot two, but after a meeting of the officials' minds, Feeling was determined to be the player fouled by the Dragons. Feeling stepped up in the clutch and felt nothing from the rowdy Pittsburg crowd jeering him.

Austin became a regular visitor to the line in the fourth quarter and overtime, making 5-of-9 overall during 12 minutes of play.

Austin led Coffeyville (7-9, 4-3 SEK) with 16 points; Feeling and Keontae Stephens each finished with 10 points.

The Dragons attempt to get back on the winning track Tuesday night with a road trip to league foe Independence. Independence defeated Pittsburg 57-49 on Dec. 19 in Pittsburg. The Dragons have all six of their wins this season away from home, including all three of their wins in league play.

COFFEYVILLE (53) — K'Shon Feeling 10, Carsen Voss 2, Keontae Stephens 10, Jaxin Hershey 7, Kaylan Austin 16, Westyn Wallace-Yeubanks 8.

PITTSBURG (52) — Danny Durden 2, Kadin Navaratnam 12, Wyatt Thomas 3, Jamarcus Davis 23, Kordae Hayes 2, Landyn Jessee 8, Halen Moss 2.

Coffeyville 13 16 15 6 3 — 53

Pittsburg 5 18 14 13 2 — 52

3-point goals: Hershey 2, Navaratnam 4, Thomas, Jessee 2, Davis 2.

This sports reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/fund/support-local-journalism-project-fund/