Box Score

READING, Pa. – In a year that has very much like a rollercoaster, perhaps it's fitting that Tuesday night's game felt like free-falling after climbing a mountain, but when the final buzzer sounded, the Lycoming College men's basketball team took control of its Commonwealth Conference Tournament destiny heading into the season's final game with a 68-65 win over Albright College on Tuesday night at the Bollman Center.
 
With six lead changes in the final 4:30, it was a 3-pointer from the left corner from junior Pat Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood) that gave the Warriors (12-11 overall, 8-9 Commonwealth) a 64-62 lead with 53 seconds left. After a turnover inside by the Lions (12-12 overall, 8-9 Commonwealth), they were forced to foul with 19 seconds left, and senior Justin Miller (Agawam, Mass./Bridgton Academy), shooting 57 percent from the line, hit both free throws.
 
Josh Marquez ran the length of the floor to hit a layup with 11 seconds left, but forced to foul again, the Lions watched as junior Malcolm Covington (Bronx, N.Y./Christ the King) hit two free throws with 10 seconds left. The Lions got a good last chance, as Pedro Perez was fouled with three seconds left and he hit the front end of his free throws. After he missed the second free throw, a last second 3-pointer bounced off the backboard.
 
The win keeps Lycoming's playoff hopes alive and well heading into the final game of the season against fourth-place Hood on Saturday. In order to make the playoffs for the third year in a row, the Warriors will either need a win combined with an Albright loss against Elizabethtown, or an Albright win and a Messiah win over Alvernia. However, if both Lycoming and Albright win and Alvernia beats Messiah, Albright would hold the tiebreaker by virtue of having beaten Alvernia. If both Lycoming and Albright lose, Widener would need to lose to Arcadia to help Lycoming into the fifth playoff slot.
 
The Lions used a layup to take a 58-57 lead with 4:10 remaining, but senior Kevin Anthony (Columbus, Ohio/Bridgton Academy) gave Lycoming the lead back with a layup inside. Kyle Jordan hit a layup to respond, but Covington got Lycoming the lead back with 96 ticks left, picking up a loose ball at the free throw line and taking it coast-to-coast for the fastbreak layup. The Lions got the lead back with 1:22 left, as Perez fought inside to hit a layup.
 
The Warriors started the second half with six straight points, as a pair of Warrior breakaways were stopped by Lions' fouls, leading to four free throws. With the 38-30 lead stretching to the largest of the game for the Warriors less than a minute into the period, Albright responded with a 12-6 run to close within two points before junior Pat Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood) hit a huge 3-pointer with 13:38 left to give the Warriors a 47-42 lead and senior Kevin Anthony (Columbus, Ohio/Bridgton Academy) followed with a layup inside to get the lead back to seven points.
 
Lycoming kept the lead within two possessions until Perez hit a free throw with 7:41 left to make it 54-51. A tip-in by Miller got the lead back to five points, but Perez struck again, hitting a 3-pointer with 4:56 left to make it a one-point game and then he gave the Lions the lead at 58-57 with his layup to set up the dramatic finish.
 
A contested 3-pointer from senior Michael Rudy (Danville, Pa./Danville Area) as time expired in the first half helped the Warriors end a half that featured four ties and three lead changes with a 32-30 lead.
 
Albright scored the game's first four points before Lycoming fought back to tie it at eight six minutes in. From there, the Lions went on a 9-2 run to take a 17-10 lead midway through the half, but Lycoming answered with its own 9-2 run to tie the game at 19 after a jumper by Dougher with 6:16 left.
 
From there, neither team got a lead of more than one possession for the rest of the period, with Rudy's 3-pointer swishing through with two seconds left.
 
Anthony finished with 16 points, five rebounds, three assists and two blocks and Rudy added 15 points, four blocks, three assists and three rebounds. Dougher also finished with 15 points, three 3-pointers made, three assists and two steals, and Covington finished with 14 points, three assists and three steals.
 
Perez finished with 29 points, nine rebounds and six assists and Kyle Jordan posted 15 points, five rebounds, four steals and two blocks. Calvert Gantz added four points and five blocks.
 
The Warriors wrap up the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 22, when they host Commonwealth Conference foe Hood at 3 p.m. at Dutch Burch Court at Lamade Gym. Before the game, the Warriors will honor the team's three seniors, Anthony, Miller and Rudy, in a brief ceremony.