WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Senior Patrick Dougher (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood) stepped up in the final 40 seconds of Wednesday night, Feb. 11's Commonwealth Conference game against Arcadia University, swishing a 3-pointer through with 40.2 seconds left and icing the game at the line with nine seconds left to lift the Lycoming College men's basketball team to a key 89-86 win.
 
Dougher finished with a season-high 21 points, hitting six 3-pointers and blocking two, as he helped the Warriors (16-7 overall, 11-3 Commonwealth) clinch at least a No. 2 seed in the upcoming Commonwealth Conference Tournament, as they hold a 1.5 game lead on second-place Stevenson (16-6 overall, 9-4 Commonwealth) with two games left, including a showdown at Stevenson on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
 
The Warriors fought the Knights (11-11 overall, 7-6 Commonwealth) through nine ties and nine lead changes in the second half, with the game coming down to the final minute, when Arcadia's Jose Figueroa was fouled with the score tied at 84. Figueroa hit both free throws, but Dougher responded with his sixth 3-pointer of the night, firing the dagger from the top of the key.
 
With Arcadia holding for a late shot, the Knights missed a 3-pointer and Dougher skied for the rebound between two Knights, getting both hands on the ball before being pushed off the ball. He then got the ensuing inbounds pass and was fouled, where he converted both free throws and the Knights turned the ball over with two seconds left. After the Knights fouled freshman Issak Bodon (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Loughlin), Bodon grabbed the rebound of his missed 1-and-1 free throw and time expired.
 
The Knights scored the first eight points in the game and led for most of the half, extending the lead to 11 points at 25-14 with 9:08 left after a 3-pointer from John Landro, one of six from the shooter in the game. Lycoming responded with a 15-5 run, cutting the lead to a point when senior Malcolm Covington (Springfield Gardens, N.Y./Blessed Sacrament) swished a jumper through with 4:27 left.
 
After the two teams traded buckets, Bodon swished a 3-pointer through to make it 34-34 with 1:04, starting a 2-2 trade of 3-pointers with Landro that sent Arcadia to the locker room with a 40-37 lead.
 
In the second half, the Warriors started the half with seven straight points, taking a 44-40 lead after a layup by freshman Chris Wallace (Randallstown, Md./Calvert Hall). From there, neither team was able to take a lead of more than five points, with the Warriors finally closing out the back-and-forth affair in the final minute.
 
Bodon finished with 17 points, three 3-pointers and five rebounds and Covington added 15 points and eight assists, as he became the 15^th player in school history to reach 200 career assists. Wallace notched 15 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Freshman Alex Newbold (Bowie, Md./DeMatha Catholic) contributed eight points and two steals and sophomore Nykolas King (New York, N.Y./Manhattan Center for Science & Math) added seven points, five assists and three blocks.
 
Landro led the Knights with 18 points and three assists, Torrell Candelaria added 15 points, four assists and four rebounds and Ryan Kelley posted 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals. Sean Mayberry notched 13 points and Joe Brown contributed 11 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
 
The Warriors finished the game 33-of-62 (53.2 percent) from the field and 9-of-19 (47 percent) from 3-point range. The Warriors dominated in the paint, 44-26, off turnover, 25-12, and on the break, 22-6, but the Knights shot 49 percent (30-of-61) and grabbed 11 more rebounds.
 
The Warriors get back on the court on Saturday, Feb. 14, with another critically important Commonwealth Conference doubleheader against Lebanon Valley. The women tip at 1 p.m. before the men tip at 3 p.m. Before each game, the teams will honor their graduating seniors.