WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Freshman Alex Newbold (Bowie, Md./DeMatha Catholic) worked into the lane after a pass out of the lane from sophomore Nykolas King (New York, N.Y./Manhattan Center for Science & Math) and twisted in for a game-tying layup with 16 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime, but the Lycoming College men's basketball team succumbed to an overtime rally from preseason Commonwealth Conference favorite Stevenson University, falling 79-73, in Lamade Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 16.
 
The Warriors (10-6 overall, 6-2 Commonwealth) fought back from a 12-point deficit with 4:42 left, as they started the comeback with a jumper from freshman Chris Wallace (Randallstown, Md./Calvert Hall). Still, with less than three minutes left, the Mustangs (11-5 overall, 4-3 Commonwealth) held a nine-point lead, but freshman Issak Bodon (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Loughlin) stepped back for a corner 3-pointer off an inbounds. Freshman Justin Iton (Hackensack, N.J./Dwight Morrow) followed with a  second-chance layup to make it a four-point game with 1:38 left.
 
After a Stevenson turnover, King drove in for a layup with 42 seconds left. With the Warriors electing to allow Stevenson a full possession instead of fouling, they benefitted from an over-and-back call with 27 seconds on the clock and Newbold tied the game 11 seconds later to tie the game at 63. Stevenson's last second shot was off the mark at the end of regulation.
 
In the overtime period, Stevenson scored five of the first seven points before Bodon hit another 3-pointer to make it 68-67 with 3:14 left. Colby Giacubeno responded with his own three, which ignited an 11-3 run that gave Stevenson a 79-70 lead with 26 seconds left. Bodon hit another 3-pointer as time wound down in the period to round out the scoring.
 
The two teams fought through three ties and four lead changes in the first five minutes of the game before Stevenson took the lead with a bucket by Chris Day with 12:17 left put the Mustangs ahead, 12-10, a lead they maintained until Newbold's bucket at the end of regulation. Stevenson lengthened the lead to 10 near the end of the first half and took a 34-25 lead into the break.
 
Lycoming kept Stevenson's lead in single figures for the first eight minutes of the second half before Stevenson went on a 10-2 run to go ahead 58-43 with 7:58 left before Lycoming started its comeback.
 
King finished with 18 points, five assists and a block to lead the Warriors, who finished shooting 40 percent (25-of-62) from the floor. Newbold added 13 points and two steals and senior Malcolm Covington (Springfield Gardens, N.Y./Blessed Sacrament) notched 11 points and four assists.
 
Bodon notched nine points, Wallace added eight points and senior Patrick Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood) added seven points.
 
Erik Fisher led the Mustangs, who shot 56 percent from the field, with 17 points and seven rebounds and both Darius Walker and Giacubeno finished with 14 points. Walker also added eight assists and seven rebounds and Giacubeno posted five assists. Christian Roberts and Julian Davis each posted 10 points and Ryan Hill blocked four shots.
 
The Warriors get back on the court on Wednesday, Jan. 20, when they head to Penn State Lehigh Valley for a 7 p.m. tip at Cedar Crest College.