Box Score

READING, Pa. – A chance to win at the buzzer fell off in overtime for the Lycoming College men’s basketball team, helping Alvernia University escape with a  73-71 Commonwealth Conference win at Alvernia’s Physical Education Center on Wednesday night, Jan. 23.
 
Senior Anthony Martin (Detroit, Mich./Christ the King) finished with 25 points and seven rebounds to lead the Warriors (12-6 overall, 6-5 Commonwealth), while junior Michael Rudy (Danville, Pa./Danville Area) posted 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
 
Alvernia (14-3 overall, 9-2 Commonwealth) was able to take control in overtime when Terrance Bridgers hit a jumper with 3:24 left and Lamont Clark hit a pair of free throws with 2:26 left to make it 69-65. Lycoming closed within three with a free throw and a tip-in by junior Kevin Anthony (Columbus, Ohio/Bridgton Academy) made it a one-point game with 1:37 left.
 
The Crusaders, though, extended the lead back to five in the next 60 seconds with shots by Clark and Kahlil Bennett falling to make it 73-68. Entering the game for the first time, freshman Rob Pillow IV (Anchorage, Alaska/Robinson Secondary) hit a deep 3-pointer to make it a two-point game with 24 seconds left. The Warriors forced a turnover just six seconds later, but a late 3-pointer fell off the rim to give Alvernia its seventh straight win.
 
As they had so many times this year, the Warriors gave the ball to Martin late in the game and he delivered, dropping in a jumper with 40 seconds left to tie the game at 62 and send the game into overtime.
 
After Alvernia took a four-point lead thanks to a 12-4 run that made it 57-53 with 3:58 left, the Warriors worked back into the game in the next two minutes, with Martin finding space to connect on a jumper with 2:39 left and Rudy followed with a steal before finding freshman William Wingate (Philadelphia, Pa./Mastery Charter) ahead of the pack and Wingate slammed home tying bucket to make it 59-59 with 1:52 left.
 
Clark hit a pair of free throws before Martin hit one with 1:26 left, giving Alvernia a one-point lead. Both teams came up empty on their next possession before Brian Parker hit a free throw with 52.8 seconds left.
 
The Crusaders worked to get back into the game throughout the second half, scoring the first three points of the second half before the Warriors extended the lead to as many as nine after a layup by sophomore Chris Foreman (Union, N.J./Union) made it 42-31 with 14:32 left.
 
The Crusaders closed the gap over the next four minutes with a 13-2 run that made it a one-point game with 10:16 left before finally tying the game at 51 with 5:58 left, setting up the dramatic conclusion of regulation.
 
Lycoming jumped out to a 12-4 lead in the first 4:30, as a putback by Martin capped the run. The Warriors kept the lead for the rest of the half and never let the Crusaders back within four. However, the Crusaders got within four points three times including at 31-27 with 1:35 left before the Warriors got a 3-pointer from Rudy to give Lycoming a 34-27 lead at the break.
 
Senior Jerald Williams (Riverdale, Md./Bladensburg) posted nine points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals and Foreman posted nine points and three assists. Anthony notched six points and six rebounds.
 
Brian Parker led the Crusaders with 23 points and 13 rebounds and Clark finished with 21 points and three steals. Bennett notched 14 points and three assists.
 
The Warriors get back on the court on Saturday, Jan. 26, when they host Widener in another Commonwealth Conference doubleheader at Lamade Gym. The women tip at 1 p.m. and the men tip at 3 p.m.